“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” - Romans 3:24-26
We were gone recently on a trip to Arkansas for Sarah’s family reunion. While there in the hotel one day, Grant and Ruthie were playing on the bed. At some point, something happened (I don’t remember now what it was) that startled Ruthie, and she playfully said to her little brother that it had scared her. He immediately caught on that this was a game and – holding onto her with all of his might - he said “Don’t worry, Ruthie… I’ll unscare you!”
I love the phrases that young children create. It is precious to hear the way they put words together to make meaning that is comprehensible to them. I love that phrase ‘unscare you’, because of the way that it implies a complete eradication of fear. It sounds as if it will totally rid the one who is scared of their problem.
When it comes to the sin problem we all have, there is only one solution that will totally rectify our fallen state, and that is the blood of Jesus Christ. Placing our trust upon His finished work at Calvary is the only hope we have in eradicating our sin from before the judgment of God. Nothing else will justify us. Nothing else will satisfy His righteousness. It is the only thing that will ‘un-separate’ us from God.
Daniel
Monday, August 15, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
#350.3 – “Joshua and the New Bike, Part Three”
“And Moses said to God, Who am I to go to Pharaoh and take the children of Israel out of Egypt?” - Exodus 3:11
Having too much fun watching Joshua run around the house looking for his present, I didn’t bother to tell him it was out in the garage at first. Instead, I let him hunt for a while. Then I told him I would give him a hint. He stopped dead in his tracks to wait on the words that would follow from my lips. When I told him that he would need his flip-flops to find his present, he very quickly (with the help of his oldest sister) put two and two together and figured that that could only mean it was outside. He ran to his room, threw on his shoes, and took off towards the garage. As soon as he opened the door, his eyes gleamed. Standing before him was a shiny new bike. He was overjoyed!
And then he realized that such a present would require him to actually get on and ride (something he had not done very well in the past, even with his mother helping), and immediately his joy shifted to fear and he ran back in the house and into the very closet from which he had gotten his flip-flops and shut himself inside! I followed after. With a little bit of encouragement (and some patience too), I managed to get him to come out and at least sit on the bike and see how it felt. Soon after that, he was willing to pedal a little. The next thing you know, he was making a lap around my parent’s car. And before ten minutes had past, he was riding up and down the driveway.
You see, Joshua could drive that bike all along, and I knew it, but he didn’t believe it. His lack of faith caused him to want to stay where he was. But once he tried it and realized he could do it, he took off like a pro. In fact, I imagine it won’t be very long before we’ll be taking those training wheels off.
When I was talking Joshua ‘out of the tree’, so to speak, I could only see how great this was going to be… and how much fun he would have… and how easy it would be for him to master this now… but all he could see and think about was his past… and how he had fallen before… and how afraid he was of falling again.
God knows what we are capable of through Him. And in those moments when my fears and doubts overwhelm me to the point that all I want to do is go run and hide in my closet, I hope that my son’s trust in what I said to him that day and his willingness to get up on the bike and put his feet on the pedals and push remind me of how I need to exercise faith in God and let His Word and His trustworthiness decide my actions for me.
Daniel
Having too much fun watching Joshua run around the house looking for his present, I didn’t bother to tell him it was out in the garage at first. Instead, I let him hunt for a while. Then I told him I would give him a hint. He stopped dead in his tracks to wait on the words that would follow from my lips. When I told him that he would need his flip-flops to find his present, he very quickly (with the help of his oldest sister) put two and two together and figured that that could only mean it was outside. He ran to his room, threw on his shoes, and took off towards the garage. As soon as he opened the door, his eyes gleamed. Standing before him was a shiny new bike. He was overjoyed!
And then he realized that such a present would require him to actually get on and ride (something he had not done very well in the past, even with his mother helping), and immediately his joy shifted to fear and he ran back in the house and into the very closet from which he had gotten his flip-flops and shut himself inside! I followed after. With a little bit of encouragement (and some patience too), I managed to get him to come out and at least sit on the bike and see how it felt. Soon after that, he was willing to pedal a little. The next thing you know, he was making a lap around my parent’s car. And before ten minutes had past, he was riding up and down the driveway.
You see, Joshua could drive that bike all along, and I knew it, but he didn’t believe it. His lack of faith caused him to want to stay where he was. But once he tried it and realized he could do it, he took off like a pro. In fact, I imagine it won’t be very long before we’ll be taking those training wheels off.
When I was talking Joshua ‘out of the tree’, so to speak, I could only see how great this was going to be… and how much fun he would have… and how easy it would be for him to master this now… but all he could see and think about was his past… and how he had fallen before… and how afraid he was of falling again.
God knows what we are capable of through Him. And in those moments when my fears and doubts overwhelm me to the point that all I want to do is go run and hide in my closet, I hope that my son’s trust in what I said to him that day and his willingness to get up on the bike and put his feet on the pedals and push remind me of how I need to exercise faith in God and let His Word and His trustworthiness decide my actions for me.
Daniel
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
#350.2 – “Joshua and the New Bike, Part Two”
“And David said to his son Solomon, Be strong and of a good heart and do your work; have no fear and do not be troubled, for the Lord God, my God, is with you; he will not give you up, and his face will not be turned away from you...” - 1 Chronicles 28:20
On the morning that my parents arrived to present Joshua with his gift, he was still asleep. They agreed to let him wake up on his own. In the meantime, they took it out of their car and we put it in our garage.
I had already told Joshua the night before that they were coming that next day, and that they would be bringing him a present when they did. When he woke up that morning, he immediately started looking all around the house for it. We all had a good chuckle out of that, and then I told him that he could look for it after he ate a bite for breakfast (I knew that once he started riding that bicycle, he wouldn’t get off to eat a thing!). He reluctantly complied, knowing that a bike was in his very near future.
Now at any other time, I might not have been able to get him to stop for anything long enough to eat, but knowing that eating equaled getting a present meant “bring on the chow” for ol’ Joshua! He gobbled up his breakfast and resumed his quest.
Sometimes having the right motivation is the key for accomplishing any given task. Getting paid and providing for my family factors into my working hard. Do the best I can do with any given task is directly a result of my competitive nature. My desire to please others drives me at times to do the things the way I do them. But at the heart of what really should matter to me above all else as a Christian is that I please God with my life.
Today, may we please Him in who we are and all we do.
Daniel
On the morning that my parents arrived to present Joshua with his gift, he was still asleep. They agreed to let him wake up on his own. In the meantime, they took it out of their car and we put it in our garage.
I had already told Joshua the night before that they were coming that next day, and that they would be bringing him a present when they did. When he woke up that morning, he immediately started looking all around the house for it. We all had a good chuckle out of that, and then I told him that he could look for it after he ate a bite for breakfast (I knew that once he started riding that bicycle, he wouldn’t get off to eat a thing!). He reluctantly complied, knowing that a bike was in his very near future.
Now at any other time, I might not have been able to get him to stop for anything long enough to eat, but knowing that eating equaled getting a present meant “bring on the chow” for ol’ Joshua! He gobbled up his breakfast and resumed his quest.
Sometimes having the right motivation is the key for accomplishing any given task. Getting paid and providing for my family factors into my working hard. Do the best I can do with any given task is directly a result of my competitive nature. My desire to please others drives me at times to do the things the way I do them. But at the heart of what really should matter to me above all else as a Christian is that I please God with my life.
Today, may we please Him in who we are and all we do.
Daniel
I have a new conviction that I would like to share with all of you regarding these devotions: in an effort to simplify my life, I feel that it is time for me to only write a devotion when I feel I have something to say, instead of feeling pressured to have something written every single day. I admit that sometimes in the past I have forced myself to come up with something, which ends up being a little like the tail wagging the dog. So these may come a little more sporadically from now on, but hopefully they will still be a blessing to you all.
Daniel
Daniel
#350.1 – “Joshua and the New Bike, Part One”
“And David said to his son Solomon, Be strong and of a good heart and do your work; have no fear and do not be troubled, for the Lord God, my God, is with you; he will not give you up, and his face will not be turned away from you...” - 1 Chronicles 28:20
Joshua had a birthday July 24, and one of the several gifts he got was a new bicycle from his Maw Maw and Paw Paw. This was a very helpful present because, unlike the other bicycles we had at the house, this one came with training wheels. You see, Joshua is just now learning to ride a bike for himself, and he has not yet felt comfortable attempting it on his own. His mother has tried several times to work with him - holding onto his seat while he pedaled – but that has not helped him gain any confidence at all. But the training wheels have made all the difference. They have given him the support he needed to be willing to ride on his own… and ride he has. He has spent no telling how many hours on that thing since he got it – riding it in our driveway, and in his Grammie and Grandpa’s driveway.
Sometimes we need the support and confidence of something outside of us to help us take action that we know all along is best. The Holy Spirit is that for us who know Jesus as Savior and Lord. He gives us the encouragement we so often need to step out in faith and obey the Father.
Another voice of support comes from our brothers and sisters in Christ. We can share in the encouraging of one who is need of it with just a simple word. Oh the power of a well-spoken word! May we seek to be that kind of encourager to those around us. And may we pray for the Holy Spirit to give strength and courage to them.
Daniel
Joshua had a birthday July 24, and one of the several gifts he got was a new bicycle from his Maw Maw and Paw Paw. This was a very helpful present because, unlike the other bicycles we had at the house, this one came with training wheels. You see, Joshua is just now learning to ride a bike for himself, and he has not yet felt comfortable attempting it on his own. His mother has tried several times to work with him - holding onto his seat while he pedaled – but that has not helped him gain any confidence at all. But the training wheels have made all the difference. They have given him the support he needed to be willing to ride on his own… and ride he has. He has spent no telling how many hours on that thing since he got it – riding it in our driveway, and in his Grammie and Grandpa’s driveway.
Sometimes we need the support and confidence of something outside of us to help us take action that we know all along is best. The Holy Spirit is that for us who know Jesus as Savior and Lord. He gives us the encouragement we so often need to step out in faith and obey the Father.
Another voice of support comes from our brothers and sisters in Christ. We can share in the encouraging of one who is need of it with just a simple word. Oh the power of a well-spoken word! May we seek to be that kind of encourager to those around us. And may we pray for the Holy Spirit to give strength and courage to them.
Daniel
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
#349.1 – “Holes”
“Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.” - Numbers 22:31
The other day Sarah was going shopping and she wanted to dress up a little. She showed me a pair of shoes she was considering wearing, to see what I thought. She stood there before me - with the sandals on - and asked me if I noticed anything different between the two of them (now I have played this game long enough to know that that means this is not a question of whether there is a difference, but whether or not I can spot it!). So I looked intently at both shoes, determined to find what it was, and I could not see a thing there that screamed ‘big difference’; I couldn’t even find anything that looked like it was even mildly dissimilar. So I did what any normal husband would have done in that situation: I sort of grunted and shrugged my shoulders and looked stupid… I mean natural.
Frustrated at her husband’s lack of attention to detail, she pointed out the distinction between the shoes being the size of the hole above the toe created by the weave of the leather (or whatever the material was; for all I know, those shoes could have been made of paper; in my defense I would like to say that my normal level of perceptive abilities were thrown off by the almost blinding glare coming from my wife at that moment). One hole was the size of a dime; the other was the size of… well, a big dime.
And I had missed that stark disparity.
Sometimes in our Christian walk, we somehow get to a point where we are going along in our walk, but we are missing God. We are doing a lot of the things we do when we do ‘find’ and ‘have’ God, but we are still missing Him. I don’t know how much of that is because we become rather sure of the things which lead us to Him rather than on Him, or how much of it is because we assume we know best and that He will just go along with us because we’ve been right in the past, or what. But God sometimes has to come along and wake us up to the fact that we are totally missing the boat. His presence is staring us right in the face and we are missing it.
Father, forgive me for the times when I go along on cruise control and don’t see You in my day.
Daniel
The other day Sarah was going shopping and she wanted to dress up a little. She showed me a pair of shoes she was considering wearing, to see what I thought. She stood there before me - with the sandals on - and asked me if I noticed anything different between the two of them (now I have played this game long enough to know that that means this is not a question of whether there is a difference, but whether or not I can spot it!). So I looked intently at both shoes, determined to find what it was, and I could not see a thing there that screamed ‘big difference’; I couldn’t even find anything that looked like it was even mildly dissimilar. So I did what any normal husband would have done in that situation: I sort of grunted and shrugged my shoulders and looked stupid… I mean natural.
Frustrated at her husband’s lack of attention to detail, she pointed out the distinction between the shoes being the size of the hole above the toe created by the weave of the leather (or whatever the material was; for all I know, those shoes could have been made of paper; in my defense I would like to say that my normal level of perceptive abilities were thrown off by the almost blinding glare coming from my wife at that moment). One hole was the size of a dime; the other was the size of… well, a big dime.
And I had missed that stark disparity.
Sometimes in our Christian walk, we somehow get to a point where we are going along in our walk, but we are missing God. We are doing a lot of the things we do when we do ‘find’ and ‘have’ God, but we are still missing Him. I don’t know how much of that is because we become rather sure of the things which lead us to Him rather than on Him, or how much of it is because we assume we know best and that He will just go along with us because we’ve been right in the past, or what. But God sometimes has to come along and wake us up to the fact that we are totally missing the boat. His presence is staring us right in the face and we are missing it.
Father, forgive me for the times when I go along on cruise control and don’t see You in my day.
Daniel
Friday, July 22, 2011
#348.5 – “Party All Night… Sleep All Day”
“And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me that part of your property which will be mine. And he made division of his goods between them. And not long after, the younger son got together everything which was his and took a journey into a far-away country, and there all his money went in foolish living. And when everything was gone, there was no food to be had in that country, and he was in need. And he went and put himself into the hands of one of the people of that country, and he sent him into his fields to give the pigs their food. And so great was his need that he would have been glad to take the pigs' food, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to his senses, he said, What numbers of my father's servants have bread enough, and more, while I am near to death here through need of food! I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have done wrong, against heaven and in your eyes.” - Luke 15:11-18
All of the kids got to have a taste of party life last night. The girls went over to Ashton’s house for her birthday party. Meanwhile, Brennan came over to our house to play with the boys. Since it was officially a party night, they stayed up a little later than normal… which was fine with us, since they aren’t in school right now. But that meant that getting up this morning was a bit of a struggle. I think I called them four times before anybody showed up in the kitchen for breakfast. They each came dragging in, slowly waking up as they ate their cereal. I guess they just aren’t cut out for party life!
This little episode reminded me of the prodigal son, and how he thought the party life was for him. He asked for his inheritance early, so that he could go live it up in the far country. Instead, he found out that the fun lifestyle he was so looking forward to quickly ‘ran out of fun’, leaving him with nothing but a longing for home.
Living by our selfish wants and wishes will always leave us dissatisfied. It will never prove to be what we had hoped. Consequently, we will come to a point when we must decide whether we will continue on our course of action (with the same dissatisfaction as a result), or we will turn back to our Father and home… a place where we will always be welcomed and loved and fulfilled.
Daniel
All of the kids got to have a taste of party life last night. The girls went over to Ashton’s house for her birthday party. Meanwhile, Brennan came over to our house to play with the boys. Since it was officially a party night, they stayed up a little later than normal… which was fine with us, since they aren’t in school right now. But that meant that getting up this morning was a bit of a struggle. I think I called them four times before anybody showed up in the kitchen for breakfast. They each came dragging in, slowly waking up as they ate their cereal. I guess they just aren’t cut out for party life!
This little episode reminded me of the prodigal son, and how he thought the party life was for him. He asked for his inheritance early, so that he could go live it up in the far country. Instead, he found out that the fun lifestyle he was so looking forward to quickly ‘ran out of fun’, leaving him with nothing but a longing for home.
Living by our selfish wants and wishes will always leave us dissatisfied. It will never prove to be what we had hoped. Consequently, we will come to a point when we must decide whether we will continue on our course of action (with the same dissatisfaction as a result), or we will turn back to our Father and home… a place where we will always be welcomed and loved and fulfilled.
Daniel
Thursday, July 21, 2011
#348.4 – “Weed-Picking 101”
“And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to do work in it and take care of it.” - Genesis 2:15
Our four kids have hardly scratched the surface of work in their lives, and I decided the other night that they needed to have a lesson in work. So I told them all that the next day we would all do a little weed-pulling. I wanted them to have just a taste of what real work is like.
The next morning, the boys were up first… so I gave a bag in which to put weeds and told them to get started. I showed them how to pull and get the whole weed up – roots and all. I then went over to another part of the yard and began pulling some of my own. After I got one sackful, I came over to check on them. They had hardly picked a thing. I gave them a good talking to, and told them to get to work. I went back across the yard to my spot and started working some more. I could hear them taking to each other; in fact, they weren’t doing much of anything except talking. I yelled across the yard and told them to get busy, and finally did. By the time I had picked a second sackful, they had finished their only sack (and they still missed a few spots, but I was okay with that, because the girls needed something to do).
Later, the girls got out there and finished weeding that section, and then started to work on the other areas neither the boys nor I had done. In the meantime, I was weed-eating the back ditch. I didn’t watch the girls do their work, but I know they came up with another sackful of weeds on their own.
Work is a good thing. When the work itself is pleasing to God, and the heart of the Christian worker is centered on serving the Lord in their work, that work honors God as an act of worship.
May we honor God in our work today.
Daniel
Our four kids have hardly scratched the surface of work in their lives, and I decided the other night that they needed to have a lesson in work. So I told them all that the next day we would all do a little weed-pulling. I wanted them to have just a taste of what real work is like.
The next morning, the boys were up first… so I gave a bag in which to put weeds and told them to get started. I showed them how to pull and get the whole weed up – roots and all. I then went over to another part of the yard and began pulling some of my own. After I got one sackful, I came over to check on them. They had hardly picked a thing. I gave them a good talking to, and told them to get to work. I went back across the yard to my spot and started working some more. I could hear them taking to each other; in fact, they weren’t doing much of anything except talking. I yelled across the yard and told them to get busy, and finally did. By the time I had picked a second sackful, they had finished their only sack (and they still missed a few spots, but I was okay with that, because the girls needed something to do).
Later, the girls got out there and finished weeding that section, and then started to work on the other areas neither the boys nor I had done. In the meantime, I was weed-eating the back ditch. I didn’t watch the girls do their work, but I know they came up with another sackful of weeds on their own.
Work is a good thing. When the work itself is pleasing to God, and the heart of the Christian worker is centered on serving the Lord in their work, that work honors God as an act of worship.
May we honor God in our work today.
Daniel
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
#348.3 – “Giving It Away”
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.” - John 15:12-13
Our girls are two very giving children. They ‘earn’ money from “Grammie Camp”, doing little odd jobs and helping her with things around the house, while learning about various hobbies and skills. But they are constantly working together to make lists of things they want to buy for the boys and for us… for birthdays and such. In fact, they have already approached Sarah and expressed a desire to purchase a birthday present for Joshua (who’s due for a birthday in a little over a week). Sarah, of course, agreed.
It does us as parents good to see them be selfless… to want to do for others… to give their monies away to show love to someone else (yes, even their brothers). This is one way they can reflect the love of Christ.
Their selfless love makes me want to imitate that from them in my life.
Lord, help me to give my life away… not just so that I can be more selfless, but so that I will be more like You, and You will be glorified.
Daniel
Our girls are two very giving children. They ‘earn’ money from “Grammie Camp”, doing little odd jobs and helping her with things around the house, while learning about various hobbies and skills. But they are constantly working together to make lists of things they want to buy for the boys and for us… for birthdays and such. In fact, they have already approached Sarah and expressed a desire to purchase a birthday present for Joshua (who’s due for a birthday in a little over a week). Sarah, of course, agreed.
It does us as parents good to see them be selfless… to want to do for others… to give their monies away to show love to someone else (yes, even their brothers). This is one way they can reflect the love of Christ.
Their selfless love makes me want to imitate that from them in my life.
Lord, help me to give my life away… not just so that I can be more selfless, but so that I will be more like You, and You will be glorified.
Daniel
#348.2 – “It’s Weirder Just Having One”
“So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, "Let me not see the death of the boy." So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.” - Genesis 21:14-17
I thought having two kids instead of four was strange… then we got to see what having one is like.
It was Grant’s turn to choose where we ate after church this past Sunday. I don’t know if it was that, or what, but he chose to stay the course and stick with that plan instead of taking up the offer given to him by his grandparents to come over to their house Sunday afternoon. So it was just me and Sarah and Grant for lunch that day, which was weird… a good weird… but weird nonetheless.
First off, let me just say that lunch is a whole lot cheaper with three eating instead of six. Second, everything is a whole lot more quiet without the girls and Joshua! And third, but not least, there is an unusual dynamic with only one child. You can spend a whole lot more time one-on-one with only one than with four (I know that is hard to believe, but it is true!).
I told you all about how Sarah planned and prayed that we would have four kids – two of one sex and then two of another (by the way, she has since told me that she DID, in fact, ask God to give us girls first… so if any of you out there are planning a family, or even grandkids, and you would like to rent my wife as an intercessor on your behalf, we would be happy to negotiate a fair price with you!). And I told you about how one great advantage of that ‘system’ is that each kid has a built-in playmate for life. Well, that is very good, and I certainly wouldn’t want to change that for anything. But one thing that is also true about having four (especially having two and two) is that having one-on-one time with any of them is very unusual.
But that is exactly where we found ourselves Sunday. After lunch, we went home and I offered to play some games with Grant. He quickly took me up on that, and we played for quite a while. Then, one of his best friends from our neighborhood came over, so I bowed out to let them play together like they wanted. But that time I had with him was a precious one to me, and I was grateful for it.
I am thankful that we serve a one-on-one kind of God. He never has to divide His attention from me; He is always 100% there with me, through thick and thin. He is good beyond words to me, and He is equally good to everyone else in the world… all at the same time… giving 100% of Himself and His attention to each one.
Lord, You truly are awesome in the manifestation of Your presence. May You be lifted up in my praise today.
Daniel
I thought having two kids instead of four was strange… then we got to see what having one is like.
It was Grant’s turn to choose where we ate after church this past Sunday. I don’t know if it was that, or what, but he chose to stay the course and stick with that plan instead of taking up the offer given to him by his grandparents to come over to their house Sunday afternoon. So it was just me and Sarah and Grant for lunch that day, which was weird… a good weird… but weird nonetheless.
First off, let me just say that lunch is a whole lot cheaper with three eating instead of six. Second, everything is a whole lot more quiet without the girls and Joshua! And third, but not least, there is an unusual dynamic with only one child. You can spend a whole lot more time one-on-one with only one than with four (I know that is hard to believe, but it is true!).
I told you all about how Sarah planned and prayed that we would have four kids – two of one sex and then two of another (by the way, she has since told me that she DID, in fact, ask God to give us girls first… so if any of you out there are planning a family, or even grandkids, and you would like to rent my wife as an intercessor on your behalf, we would be happy to negotiate a fair price with you!). And I told you about how one great advantage of that ‘system’ is that each kid has a built-in playmate for life. Well, that is very good, and I certainly wouldn’t want to change that for anything. But one thing that is also true about having four (especially having two and two) is that having one-on-one time with any of them is very unusual.
But that is exactly where we found ourselves Sunday. After lunch, we went home and I offered to play some games with Grant. He quickly took me up on that, and we played for quite a while. Then, one of his best friends from our neighborhood came over, so I bowed out to let them play together like they wanted. But that time I had with him was a precious one to me, and I was grateful for it.
I am thankful that we serve a one-on-one kind of God. He never has to divide His attention from me; He is always 100% there with me, through thick and thin. He is good beyond words to me, and He is equally good to everyone else in the world… all at the same time… giving 100% of Himself and His attention to each one.
Lord, You truly are awesome in the manifestation of Your presence. May You be lifted up in my praise today.
Daniel
Monday, July 18, 2011
#348.1 – “It’s Weird Just Having Two”
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” - 1 John 4:7-9
This past weekend, the girls went off to GA camp at Camp Helen. They were gone just overnight Friday into Saturday morning – but it felt like much longer than that to me. I suppose one reason why that was so is because it was just so much more quiet without them (and I don’t mean that as an attack on them… it’s just true), and quiet hours seem longer than noisy ones (to me, anyway).
Having someone else share time/life (and no, I’m not talking about the magazines!) with us makes such a difference. I suppose there is always the danger of taking them for granted. The fact is, before the girls left, I had not realized how much they help me stay active and have purpose and spend my day. But they do – even if we don’t always do a ton of things together, they give me a reason to work and do the things that I do. They are a crucial part of who I am.
In the same way we, as a part of the Body of Christ (even and especially in the local body of Christ, with whom we gather to worship and serve), are integral to each other’s spiritual lives. We help provide purpose and encouragement and love to each other. We need each other. God made us to be dependent upon each other, and He desires that we serve Him by serving each other. Anything less or else is just, well, weird.
Daniel
This past weekend, the girls went off to GA camp at Camp Helen. They were gone just overnight Friday into Saturday morning – but it felt like much longer than that to me. I suppose one reason why that was so is because it was just so much more quiet without them (and I don’t mean that as an attack on them… it’s just true), and quiet hours seem longer than noisy ones (to me, anyway).
Having someone else share time/life (and no, I’m not talking about the magazines!) with us makes such a difference. I suppose there is always the danger of taking them for granted. The fact is, before the girls left, I had not realized how much they help me stay active and have purpose and spend my day. But they do – even if we don’t always do a ton of things together, they give me a reason to work and do the things that I do. They are a crucial part of who I am.
In the same way we, as a part of the Body of Christ (even and especially in the local body of Christ, with whom we gather to worship and serve), are integral to each other’s spiritual lives. We help provide purpose and encouragement and love to each other. We need each other. God made us to be dependent upon each other, and He desires that we serve Him by serving each other. Anything less or else is just, well, weird.
Daniel
Friday, July 15, 2011
#347.4 – “My Helper”
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.” - John 14:16
After supper last night, there was still enough daylight to go out and do some car-washing. I invited any of the children who wanted to join me in this venture to come out and help. Grant was the only taker. He came out right after me and worked like a little Trojan, vacuuming and washing and spraying; he even washed his bicycle while we were out there!
I can remember wanting to help my dad when I was a kid. And it didn’t really matter what it was he was doing; I just wanted to be with him. Seeing Grant come alongside me to help me do something reminded me of me and my desire to help my dad.
God’s Holy Spirit is the believer’s Helper. He is always there for us; He never leaves us. And He helps in so many ways – guiding… protecting… giving wisdom… reminding us of God’s word… assuring us of His love.
May we be grateful today for the love God shows us through giving us a Helper to walk through life with us.
Daniel
After supper last night, there was still enough daylight to go out and do some car-washing. I invited any of the children who wanted to join me in this venture to come out and help. Grant was the only taker. He came out right after me and worked like a little Trojan, vacuuming and washing and spraying; he even washed his bicycle while we were out there!
I can remember wanting to help my dad when I was a kid. And it didn’t really matter what it was he was doing; I just wanted to be with him. Seeing Grant come alongside me to help me do something reminded me of me and my desire to help my dad.
God’s Holy Spirit is the believer’s Helper. He is always there for us; He never leaves us. And He helps in so many ways – guiding… protecting… giving wisdom… reminding us of God’s word… assuring us of His love.
May we be grateful today for the love God shows us through giving us a Helper to walk through life with us.
Daniel
Thursday, July 14, 2011
#347.3 – “A Free Lunch Just Tastes Better”
“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him.” - Psalms 34:8
As a part of one of my recent trips to do some visiting at Huntsville Hospital, I was the recipient of a free lunch from the family of one I was visiting. Not at all expecting that, it came as such a nice surprise. As I was eating, I thought to myself how enjoyable that lunch was… and not only because the visit with the family was such a precious thing, but also because I didn’t have to pay for it!
There have been many times when I have had my lunch bought for me, and I can honestly say that not having to pick up the tab just made those lunches that much better! When it comes to salvation, my Savior ‘picked up the tab’ for me…. and He’s done the same for you. The only question is whether or not you have graciously (there is grace involved in receiving too) accepted it or not.
If you have, then invite someone else to the banquet table of grace… and if not, then let me encourage you to dine at the King’s table… at no cost to you. You will find His salvation to be the sweetest thing you’ve ever tasted.
Daniel
As a part of one of my recent trips to do some visiting at Huntsville Hospital, I was the recipient of a free lunch from the family of one I was visiting. Not at all expecting that, it came as such a nice surprise. As I was eating, I thought to myself how enjoyable that lunch was… and not only because the visit with the family was such a precious thing, but also because I didn’t have to pay for it!
There have been many times when I have had my lunch bought for me, and I can honestly say that not having to pick up the tab just made those lunches that much better! When it comes to salvation, my Savior ‘picked up the tab’ for me…. and He’s done the same for you. The only question is whether or not you have graciously (there is grace involved in receiving too) accepted it or not.
If you have, then invite someone else to the banquet table of grace… and if not, then let me encourage you to dine at the King’s table… at no cost to you. You will find His salvation to be the sweetest thing you’ve ever tasted.
Daniel
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
#347.2 – “Play with Me”
“The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” - Psalms 46:7
Last night Grant came up beside our bed (which I was already in and getting ready to go to sleep) and asked me if I would play with him. His brother and his sisters were in their respective rooms, playing on their own… and he didn’t have anyone with which to play. I was pretty exhausted and really didn’t feel like getting up playing anything like hide-and-seek, so I suggested a compromise: thumb-wrestling. Thumb-wrestling is a great sport at which young and old(er) can all enjoy, with minimal effort. And that’s what we did; we had several matches right there on my bed. Within a few minutes, some other would-be participants were standing around watching, waiting for their turn to take on the champion.
I am grateful that God is never too tired for me. He never turns me down when I want to talk; He never tells me to come back later. He is always there for me.
Father, thank You for being there… all of the time.
Daniel
Last night Grant came up beside our bed (which I was already in and getting ready to go to sleep) and asked me if I would play with him. His brother and his sisters were in their respective rooms, playing on their own… and he didn’t have anyone with which to play. I was pretty exhausted and really didn’t feel like getting up playing anything like hide-and-seek, so I suggested a compromise: thumb-wrestling. Thumb-wrestling is a great sport at which young and old(er) can all enjoy, with minimal effort. And that’s what we did; we had several matches right there on my bed. Within a few minutes, some other would-be participants were standing around watching, waiting for their turn to take on the champion.
I am grateful that God is never too tired for me. He never turns me down when I want to talk; He never tells me to come back later. He is always there for me.
Father, thank You for being there… all of the time.
Daniel
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
#347.1 – “… If You’ll Pay Me Back Two Dollars and Fifty Three Cents.”
“And that no man may make attempts to get the better of his brother in business: for the Lord is the judge in all these things, as we said to you before and gave witness.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:6
I don’t remember now where exactly we were… but the family had been out the other day and Joshua had a little bit of change with him. At some point, he motioned for me to lean over so he could tell me something. When I did, he whispered in my ear that he would let me ‘borrow’ two pennies if I would later pay him back two dollars and fifty three cents! I told him he should go to work for the credit card companies!
Joshua is old enough to understand that having the ability to buy some things for yourself is fun. And – like any other normal kid – he would always love to have more money to be able to spend. But his little ‘system’ he had come up with, while funny, was a good reminder to me of how quickly our ambition can carry us farther than we ought to go. The Bible is clear about the wrong of taking advantage of another in order to make gain for yourself. At the heart of this sin is the issue of how we perceive ourselves versus the other person; do we believe that we are more worthy than they to receive gain? Have we any concern for their well-being, or ours alone? Do we focus exclusively on self? A healthy approach is for us to always keep our eyes on Jesus and be reminded of how He views people and things.
Lord, I realize that, apart from You and Your grace, my ambition would be willing to go to any lengths - including the destruction of others – to get what I want. Help me to stay reminded of that as I seek to reflect You to the world around me.
Daniel
I don’t remember now where exactly we were… but the family had been out the other day and Joshua had a little bit of change with him. At some point, he motioned for me to lean over so he could tell me something. When I did, he whispered in my ear that he would let me ‘borrow’ two pennies if I would later pay him back two dollars and fifty three cents! I told him he should go to work for the credit card companies!
Joshua is old enough to understand that having the ability to buy some things for yourself is fun. And – like any other normal kid – he would always love to have more money to be able to spend. But his little ‘system’ he had come up with, while funny, was a good reminder to me of how quickly our ambition can carry us farther than we ought to go. The Bible is clear about the wrong of taking advantage of another in order to make gain for yourself. At the heart of this sin is the issue of how we perceive ourselves versus the other person; do we believe that we are more worthy than they to receive gain? Have we any concern for their well-being, or ours alone? Do we focus exclusively on self? A healthy approach is for us to always keep our eyes on Jesus and be reminded of how He views people and things.
Lord, I realize that, apart from You and Your grace, my ambition would be willing to go to any lengths - including the destruction of others – to get what I want. Help me to stay reminded of that as I seek to reflect You to the world around me.
Daniel
Friday, July 8, 2011
#346.4 – “God Math, Lesson Four: 1 > 99???”
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? "And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. "And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” - Luke 15:4-7
I said earlier this week that one of the great things about math is that there is a ‘standard’ on which you can count (no pun intended), i.e. 2+2=4. The same kind of standard is true of the character of God and nature of God; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But in ‘God math’, there is one time when 1 is actually greater than 99, and that time is aptly described in the verses above, so you don’t need me to elaborate on it for you. Allow me, then, just to appreciate this mathematical ‘puzzle’. As one who is soooo glad that He deemed me – an individual who was bound for hell because of my sin – worthy of His time and attention that He saved me from the lost state I was in (note: not heading towards, but already there) and brought me back to where I belonged and where He intended all along, I concur that this kind of math doesn’t ‘make sense’, but it is nonetheless true.
God loves the ‘ones’ of this world. You and I are proof of that. And we should love the ‘ones’ also.
Daniel
I said earlier this week that one of the great things about math is that there is a ‘standard’ on which you can count (no pun intended), i.e. 2+2=4. The same kind of standard is true of the character of God and nature of God; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But in ‘God math’, there is one time when 1 is actually greater than 99, and that time is aptly described in the verses above, so you don’t need me to elaborate on it for you. Allow me, then, just to appreciate this mathematical ‘puzzle’. As one who is soooo glad that He deemed me – an individual who was bound for hell because of my sin – worthy of His time and attention that He saved me from the lost state I was in (note: not heading towards, but already there) and brought me back to where I belonged and where He intended all along, I concur that this kind of math doesn’t ‘make sense’, but it is nonetheless true.
God loves the ‘ones’ of this world. You and I are proof of that. And we should love the ‘ones’ also.
Daniel
Thursday, July 7, 2011
#346.3 – “God Math, Lesson Three: Two > One”
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” - Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Before Sarah and I were ever married, we talked about how many children we each wanted to have. Being an only child of sorts (I do have three older half-brothers, none of whom lived with us), I figured we would have one. Sarah, being one of two children, had always dreamed of having… you guessed it… four (I gave up figuring her math a long time ago!) – two of one sex and two of the other... and she specifically wanted two of the same sex to be born back-to-back, and then the other two of the opposite sex to be born after that. To my knowledge, she graciously left God room to decide which sex would come first (although I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that she was whispering ‘girl’ in His ear the first time around)!
The truth is that we are both grateful for our four kids. And we’re not just grateful for each individual child, but also for the fact that we have four. Having two and two means that, not only do our kids have a childhood playmate, but for the rest of their lives they will have a support… a confidant… a friend (although there are plenty of times when we wonder if they will survive each other in the childhood stage!).
There is strength in numbers. And God intends for His Church to be a community of believers, who work together toward a common goal. He gifts us as individuals, but He brings our individual gifts together (in the context of a local church) to make a unique representation of Him to the world around us.
And part of the reason why He does so is because the group accomplishes much more than an individual could do. Two really are better than one. And three are better than two.
And another part of the reason why He does so is because the group working as one best represents His nature as the Trinity of Father, Son, and Spirit… three entities who are as One.
It ‘works’ for God, and it will always ‘work’ for us as well. We are our best and we do our best when we unite with others around us and work with each other.
So today I urge us to be thankful for the others who help make up the Body of Christ with us. Thank God for them; and thank them for their contribution to the Kingdom of God.
Daniel
Before Sarah and I were ever married, we talked about how many children we each wanted to have. Being an only child of sorts (I do have three older half-brothers, none of whom lived with us), I figured we would have one. Sarah, being one of two children, had always dreamed of having… you guessed it… four (I gave up figuring her math a long time ago!) – two of one sex and two of the other... and she specifically wanted two of the same sex to be born back-to-back, and then the other two of the opposite sex to be born after that. To my knowledge, she graciously left God room to decide which sex would come first (although I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that she was whispering ‘girl’ in His ear the first time around)!
The truth is that we are both grateful for our four kids. And we’re not just grateful for each individual child, but also for the fact that we have four. Having two and two means that, not only do our kids have a childhood playmate, but for the rest of their lives they will have a support… a confidant… a friend (although there are plenty of times when we wonder if they will survive each other in the childhood stage!).
There is strength in numbers. And God intends for His Church to be a community of believers, who work together toward a common goal. He gifts us as individuals, but He brings our individual gifts together (in the context of a local church) to make a unique representation of Him to the world around us.
And part of the reason why He does so is because the group accomplishes much more than an individual could do. Two really are better than one. And three are better than two.
And another part of the reason why He does so is because the group working as one best represents His nature as the Trinity of Father, Son, and Spirit… three entities who are as One.
It ‘works’ for God, and it will always ‘work’ for us as well. We are our best and we do our best when we unite with others around us and work with each other.
So today I urge us to be thankful for the others who help make up the Body of Christ with us. Thank God for them; and thank them for their contribution to the Kingdom of God.
Daniel
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
#346.2 – “God Math, Lesson Two: God’s Grace > Our Sin”
“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 5:20-21
You know, one of the great things about math is that once you learn a truth, that truth stays the same forever. 2+2=4… always has been… always will (unless you’re into that goofy math). Well, a HUGE truth that has always remained the same in God’s math class is this one: His grace is always greater than our sin. In any given situation… at any point in time… as it pertains to any individual… God’s grace consistently outweighs, outdoes, out-whatever any sin that it comes up against.
That doesn’t mean that grace always ‘wins out’ in somebody’s life. The fact is that people go through life (even to the point of their death) without ever choosing to accept God’s grace for themselves. They disregard it and the God who offers it to them freely. But that doesn’t change the truth that God’s grace is greater than their sin, any more than writing down a ‘5’ as the answer to the problem 2+2 changes the fact that the answer is ‘4’. The answer is ‘4’. And in the same way that 10 is always greater than 1, the all-powerful, all-forgiving, all-cleansing, all-life-changing grace of God is always greater than sin.
But is up to us to choose to believe it and receive that truth for ourselves.
Daniel
You know, one of the great things about math is that once you learn a truth, that truth stays the same forever. 2+2=4… always has been… always will (unless you’re into that goofy math). Well, a HUGE truth that has always remained the same in God’s math class is this one: His grace is always greater than our sin. In any given situation… at any point in time… as it pertains to any individual… God’s grace consistently outweighs, outdoes, out-whatever any sin that it comes up against.
That doesn’t mean that grace always ‘wins out’ in somebody’s life. The fact is that people go through life (even to the point of their death) without ever choosing to accept God’s grace for themselves. They disregard it and the God who offers it to them freely. But that doesn’t change the truth that God’s grace is greater than their sin, any more than writing down a ‘5’ as the answer to the problem 2+2 changes the fact that the answer is ‘4’. The answer is ‘4’. And in the same way that 10 is always greater than 1, the all-powerful, all-forgiving, all-cleansing, all-life-changing grace of God is always greater than sin.
But is up to us to choose to believe it and receive that truth for ourselves.
Daniel
#346.1 – “God Math, Lesson One: Jesus > Anything Else”
“For by Him all things were made, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, authorities, lords, rulers, and powers; all things were made by Him and for Him; He is before all things, and in Him all things have being. And He is the head of the body, the church: the starting point of all things, the first to come again from the dead; so that in all things He might have the chief place. For God in full measure was pleased to be in Him; Through Him uniting all things with Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, uniting all things which are on earth or in heaven. And you, who in the past were cut off and at war with God in your minds through evil works, He has now made one in the body of His flesh through death, so that you might be holy and without sin and free from all evil before Him: if you keep yourselves safely based in the faith, not moved from the hope of the good news which came to you, and which was given to every living being under heaven; of which I, Paul, was made a servant.” - Colossians 1:16-23
An extension somewhat of last Friday’s lesson, this mathematical statement is a good reminder of a truth that is peculiar to Jesus alone. No one… no thing… no idea… no belief… no kingdom… no power… no principality… nothing is greater than Jesus. He is superior to all. He is above all. He created all things, and all things were created for His pleasure. He reigns over the entire universe and beyond. Every knee will bow… every tongue confess that He is Lord over all.
Got it. Check that box. Learned that lesson a long time ago.
Okay, so the real question is: is Jesus greater than everything to me? Is He greater than my desires… to be important… to be desired… to have wealth and fame and glory? Does my calendar say that He is most important? Does my checkbook declare Him to be Lord of my life? Do my wife and kids concur that he reigns in my heart?
Whether or not my life reflects the truth that Jesus is greater than anything, the fact does not change that He is. He is superior to everything… in every way… everyday.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness today. Declare Him Lord over your day today. Give Him the rightful place of honor in your day.
Daniel
An extension somewhat of last Friday’s lesson, this mathematical statement is a good reminder of a truth that is peculiar to Jesus alone. No one… no thing… no idea… no belief… no kingdom… no power… no principality… nothing is greater than Jesus. He is superior to all. He is above all. He created all things, and all things were created for His pleasure. He reigns over the entire universe and beyond. Every knee will bow… every tongue confess that He is Lord over all.
Got it. Check that box. Learned that lesson a long time ago.
Okay, so the real question is: is Jesus greater than everything to me? Is He greater than my desires… to be important… to be desired… to have wealth and fame and glory? Does my calendar say that He is most important? Does my checkbook declare Him to be Lord of my life? Do my wife and kids concur that he reigns in my heart?
Whether or not my life reflects the truth that Jesus is greater than anything, the fact does not change that He is. He is superior to everything… in every way… everyday.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness today. Declare Him Lord over your day today. Give Him the rightful place of honor in your day.
Daniel
Friday, July 1, 2011
#345.5 – “The Show to End All Shows, Part Five: Grant the Observer”
“He has to become greater while I become less.” - John 3:30
The only one I have not written anything about is Grant, and that is because he was not a participant in ‘the show’. He instead preferred to just sit and enjoy as a quiet observer, alongside his mother and me and the Hughes. That is so characteristic of Grant; unlike his younger brother, Grant is another one who would just as soon not be the center of anything. Much more reserved and quiet than Joshua, he rarely does anything that would draw attention to himself.
In our dealings with other people, we as Christians should have an attitude of ‘less me, more Jesus’ in all that we do. We should seek to point others to Him and not to ourselves. Our aim ought to be to put Him in the forefront of any and every conversation and action we take, while we should remain ‘in the back’.
Daniel
The only one I have not written anything about is Grant, and that is because he was not a participant in ‘the show’. He instead preferred to just sit and enjoy as a quiet observer, alongside his mother and me and the Hughes. That is so characteristic of Grant; unlike his younger brother, Grant is another one who would just as soon not be the center of anything. Much more reserved and quiet than Joshua, he rarely does anything that would draw attention to himself.
In our dealings with other people, we as Christians should have an attitude of ‘less me, more Jesus’ in all that we do. We should seek to point others to Him and not to ourselves. Our aim ought to be to put Him in the forefront of any and every conversation and action we take, while we should remain ‘in the back’.
Daniel
Thursday, June 30, 2011
#345.4 – “The Show to End All Shows, Part Four: Beth and Ruthie, the Dynamic Duo”
“My prayer is not for them only, but for all who will have faith in me through their word; May they all be one! Even as you, Father, are in me and I am in you, so let them be in us, so that all men may come to have faith that you sent me.” - John 17:20-21
Ruthie had dual roles the day of the show – she not was the ticketmaster, but she was also the DJ for Beth, who sang along with one of her dad’s cd’s as the next act after Joshua. This superstar team cranked out several tunes for us, with Beth calling out to Ruthie which track to play next.
The teamwork the two of them demonstrated reminded me of how Jesus always did only what the Father called out for Him to do. Whatever track He was to take, He took. The two of them were always ‘in sync’ with each other.
As we seek to be like Christ in all we do, may we ever give ourselves in surrender to His will. May our lives be in sync with His.
Daniel
Ruthie had dual roles the day of the show – she not was the ticketmaster, but she was also the DJ for Beth, who sang along with one of her dad’s cd’s as the next act after Joshua. This superstar team cranked out several tunes for us, with Beth calling out to Ruthie which track to play next.
The teamwork the two of them demonstrated reminded me of how Jesus always did only what the Father called out for Him to do. Whatever track He was to take, He took. The two of them were always ‘in sync’ with each other.
As we seek to be like Christ in all we do, may we ever give ourselves in surrender to His will. May our lives be in sync with His.
Daniel
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
#345.3 – “The Show to End All Shows, Part Three: Ruthie the Ticketmaster”
“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” - Romans 3:24
When we entered the preschool room that day, we found ourselves walking through an elaborate path of cardboard bricks. As we followed them (in a zig-zag pattern) to their end, they led us right to Ruthie, who was selling tickets for the show. When we asked how were supposed to pay, the girls (having thought of everything for us) pointed to some fake money lying on the table that they had made from index cards. Ruthie handed us the ‘cash’… which we then gave her back, in exchange for a ticket each. We then took our seats and enjoyed the show.
Pretty good set-up, wouldn’t you agree? Don’t you wish that every show you went to see provided the cash for you to purchase your tickets? I’m saying… I like that deal!
And that is exactly what Christ did for us at Calvary. The standard of God’s holiness was so high that only perfection could obtain a relationship with Him. Since we all fall short of His perfection, we could not enter into that relationship on our own merit. But God - knowing this was the case – planned all along to provide the means by which we could enter into a relationship with Him, and thus He came in the form of the God-man: Jesus. He took on the sins of the entire world and made a way where there was no way, by giving His life as a sacrifice. In so doing, He purchased for us a ‘backstage pass’, good for all eternity. All we have to do is pick up the ‘cash’ (trust His blood to cover our sins) and turn it in (by faith, give Him our sin and accept His righteousness) for our ticket (our eternal relationship with God).
Pretty good deal, huh?
If you’ve never accepted it, why not do that right now? And then tell another believer about what you did.
If you have accepted it, help another person ‘in line’ see that the price has already been paid for them.
Daniel
When we entered the preschool room that day, we found ourselves walking through an elaborate path of cardboard bricks. As we followed them (in a zig-zag pattern) to their end, they led us right to Ruthie, who was selling tickets for the show. When we asked how were supposed to pay, the girls (having thought of everything for us) pointed to some fake money lying on the table that they had made from index cards. Ruthie handed us the ‘cash’… which we then gave her back, in exchange for a ticket each. We then took our seats and enjoyed the show.
Pretty good set-up, wouldn’t you agree? Don’t you wish that every show you went to see provided the cash for you to purchase your tickets? I’m saying… I like that deal!
And that is exactly what Christ did for us at Calvary. The standard of God’s holiness was so high that only perfection could obtain a relationship with Him. Since we all fall short of His perfection, we could not enter into that relationship on our own merit. But God - knowing this was the case – planned all along to provide the means by which we could enter into a relationship with Him, and thus He came in the form of the God-man: Jesus. He took on the sins of the entire world and made a way where there was no way, by giving His life as a sacrifice. In so doing, He purchased for us a ‘backstage pass’, good for all eternity. All we have to do is pick up the ‘cash’ (trust His blood to cover our sins) and turn it in (by faith, give Him our sin and accept His righteousness) for our ticket (our eternal relationship with God).
Pretty good deal, huh?
If you’ve never accepted it, why not do that right now? And then tell another believer about what you did.
If you have accepted it, help another person ‘in line’ see that the price has already been paid for them.
Daniel
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
#345.2 – ““The Show to End All Shows, Part Two: Joshua the Superman Tumbler”
“And they took off his clothing, and put on him a red robe. And they made a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and put a rod in his right hand, and they went down on their knees before him, and made sport of him, saying, Long life to the King of the Jews. And they put shame on him, and gave him blows on the head with the rod. And when they had made sport of him, they took the robe off him, and put his clothing on him, and took him away to put him on the cross. And while they were coming out, they saw a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they made him go with them, so that he might take up his cross. And when they came to the place named Golgotha, that is to say, Dead Man's Head, They gave him wine mixed with bitter drink: and after tasting it, he took no more. And when they had put him on the cross, they made division of his clothing among them by the decision of chance. And they were seated there watching him. And they put up over his head the statement of his crime in writing, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then two thieves were put on crosses with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who went by said bitter words to him, shaking their heads and saying, You who would give the Temple to destruction and put it up again in three days, get yourself free: if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. In the same way, the chief priests, making sport of him, with the scribes and those in authority, said, A saviour of others, he has no salvation for himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will have faith in him. He put his faith in God; let God be his saviour now, if he will have him; for he said, I am the Son of God. And the thieves who were on the crosses said evil words to him.” - Matthew 27:28-45a.
Joshua was the opening act of this thrilling show. He led off with what he does best: run around and jump and tumble and flip and all kinds of other such stuff. Some of his ‘act’ was a demonstration of what he remembered from his gymnastics class... and some of it he just made up… but all of it was fun to watch. And he did all of this while pretending to be Superman. And Superman he was… one time, he stood at the top of the steps in that preschool room and literally tumbled – end over end - off into the floor. He then did a somersault (of sorts) back up to the top. The rush of blood turning his head a bright shade of red didn’t stop this superdude from performing his stunts.
Sensing that it was time to let the next act on, the emcee (Anna) got up on stage and tried to introduce the next act. But Joshua kept trying to get more time in… running around and ‘finishing’ (as he called it) what he was doing. Anna – knowing the way her brother is - just cut him off and told him instead to go run around in the hallway outside the room. Joshua tried to still get more time in on the stage. Finally, Sarah and I told Joshua that he had to go out. Even then, he still tried to get his neck in the room and talk over Mrs. Emcee (unlike his big sister, Joshua has no problem whatsoever with being the center of attention)!
Oh that I would have Joshua’s no-quit attitude when it comes to spiritual warfare. So often, I let discouragement keep me from trying something that God is calling me to… or I give in to the temptations I find around me, instead of standing firm like I should… or I want to quit when the going gets tough… but not Joshua.
And not Jesus, either. When the time came that He knew He was facing death, He boldly became vulnerable and willingly surrendered Himself to the cross, in order to pay for the sins of the world. And nothing – not insult… not injury… not anything – kept Him from accomplishing what God had planned for Him.
Daniel
Joshua was the opening act of this thrilling show. He led off with what he does best: run around and jump and tumble and flip and all kinds of other such stuff. Some of his ‘act’ was a demonstration of what he remembered from his gymnastics class... and some of it he just made up… but all of it was fun to watch. And he did all of this while pretending to be Superman. And Superman he was… one time, he stood at the top of the steps in that preschool room and literally tumbled – end over end - off into the floor. He then did a somersault (of sorts) back up to the top. The rush of blood turning his head a bright shade of red didn’t stop this superdude from performing his stunts.
Sensing that it was time to let the next act on, the emcee (Anna) got up on stage and tried to introduce the next act. But Joshua kept trying to get more time in… running around and ‘finishing’ (as he called it) what he was doing. Anna – knowing the way her brother is - just cut him off and told him instead to go run around in the hallway outside the room. Joshua tried to still get more time in on the stage. Finally, Sarah and I told Joshua that he had to go out. Even then, he still tried to get his neck in the room and talk over Mrs. Emcee (unlike his big sister, Joshua has no problem whatsoever with being the center of attention)!
Oh that I would have Joshua’s no-quit attitude when it comes to spiritual warfare. So often, I let discouragement keep me from trying something that God is calling me to… or I give in to the temptations I find around me, instead of standing firm like I should… or I want to quit when the going gets tough… but not Joshua.
And not Jesus, either. When the time came that He knew He was facing death, He boldly became vulnerable and willingly surrendered Himself to the cross, in order to pay for the sins of the world. And nothing – not insult… not injury… not anything – kept Him from accomplishing what God had planned for Him.
Daniel
Monday, June 27, 2011
#345.1 – “The Show to End All Shows, Part One: Anna the Emcee”
One day last week Sarah and Susan and I were up here practicing on a song for Sunday’s service. Meanwhile, our kids and Beth were working on a show to present to us afterwards. This week’s devotions are centered around that event.
“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' ” - Matthew 3:1-3
Anna grabbed her microphone (which was made of construction paper) and stood up on the platform (the stage area in one of the preschool rooms) and proceeded to announce all of the show’s line-up, one at a time. Always very articulate, yet appreciative of not being the ‘main attraction’, Anna is a great emcee. She kept the ‘entertainers’ moving and kept the show exciting. She built up each act as if it were the greatest thing on earth.
John the Baptist was sort of an ‘emcee’ for Jesus: he preceded Jesus… and his life and work ‘set Jesus up’ to do what Jesus was called to do. He served to point people to the ‘main attraction’ of Christ and His life and death and resurrection. He made it clear that believing in Jesus was the greatest thing anyone could ever do.
In a lot of ways, we are to be ‘emcees for Christ’. Our lives should point people to Him. Nothing should be done for our glory, but for His alone. We should understand that we exist to serve and glorify Him.
Daniel
“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' ” - Matthew 3:1-3
Anna grabbed her microphone (which was made of construction paper) and stood up on the platform (the stage area in one of the preschool rooms) and proceeded to announce all of the show’s line-up, one at a time. Always very articulate, yet appreciative of not being the ‘main attraction’, Anna is a great emcee. She kept the ‘entertainers’ moving and kept the show exciting. She built up each act as if it were the greatest thing on earth.
John the Baptist was sort of an ‘emcee’ for Jesus: he preceded Jesus… and his life and work ‘set Jesus up’ to do what Jesus was called to do. He served to point people to the ‘main attraction’ of Christ and His life and death and resurrection. He made it clear that believing in Jesus was the greatest thing anyone could ever do.
In a lot of ways, we are to be ‘emcees for Christ’. Our lives should point people to Him. Nothing should be done for our glory, but for His alone. We should understand that we exist to serve and glorify Him.
Daniel
Friday, June 24, 2011
#344.4 – “The Group is Greater than the Individual”
“But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” - 2 Timothy 4:5-7
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” – Hebrews 12:1
Another motivation for a musician to keep going is ‘the band’: the group with whom the person is playing. Yes the piece of music is crucial… more than whatever individual notes may be missed. And so, having the ‘end in mind’ of playing the whole piece of music is important to finishing what is begun. But also, there is the motivation of finishing with and for your fellow players.
If – in the middle of a piece of band music – I decided to just quit, my part would be missing from the arrangement, leaving a ‘hole’ musically. The band could (and should) go on without me… but it wouldn’t be the same. My part contributes to the whole… as does each of theirs… and thus, we encourage one another with our playing.
The Christian life is the same way. As a part of the Body of Christ, I contribute to the whole. And so does every other believer. And my playing encourages another… and theirs encourages me. Those who have mentored me - both in the past and in the present – encourage me in my walk with Christ. And those whom I have been blessed to mentor – both in my past and in my present – I hope to encourage. And so we support each other in our playing and move on the end of piece together.
Daniel
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” – Hebrews 12:1
Another motivation for a musician to keep going is ‘the band’: the group with whom the person is playing. Yes the piece of music is crucial… more than whatever individual notes may be missed. And so, having the ‘end in mind’ of playing the whole piece of music is important to finishing what is begun. But also, there is the motivation of finishing with and for your fellow players.
If – in the middle of a piece of band music – I decided to just quit, my part would be missing from the arrangement, leaving a ‘hole’ musically. The band could (and should) go on without me… but it wouldn’t be the same. My part contributes to the whole… as does each of theirs… and thus, we encourage one another with our playing.
The Christian life is the same way. As a part of the Body of Christ, I contribute to the whole. And so does every other believer. And my playing encourages another… and theirs encourages me. Those who have mentored me - both in the past and in the present – encourage me in my walk with Christ. And those whom I have been blessed to mentor – both in my past and in my present – I hope to encourage. And so we support each other in our playing and move on the end of piece together.
Daniel
Thursday, June 23, 2011
#344.3 – “The Song Outweighs the Notes”
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24
As I expound a little more on the object lesson from yesterday, another parallel occurs to me:
The reason a mature musician ‘keeps trucking’ with their music is because they understand that music is a temporal art. Notice I did not say ‘temporary’, but ‘temporal’… meaning that it takes place in time. In that sense, it is unlike many of the visual arts, which can be done in stages. Take drawing, for example… say you wanted to draw the Empire State Building. You could start by getting just the outline done. Then, you could stop and put your pencils or chalk or whatever you were using away. You could come back the next day and start filling in some windows, and maybe the door. After another break, you could do the details (like shading or what have you) until you had the finished product. You could even go back at any point along the way and erase/correct something before you showed it to anyone.
But you can’t do that in music. Music happens… in time. If you make a mistake while playing a piece for someone, there is no ‘going back’ and ‘erasing’… you just have to keep going on… mistakes and all. And thus, music can be a very humbling art (which is really a good thing).
What drives a musician to play through the mistakes anyway is the ‘piece’ (the song). The piece is incomplete until the last note is played, that truth overrides all other parameters that a musician has… and so the ‘piece’ outweighs the ‘notes’.
Life is made up of a series of moments… and those moments may be ‘good’ or ‘bad’ at times. But our life here on earth isn’t over until we take our last breath, and so Paul encourages us as believers to run right up till our death… giving glory to God in all we do all along the way… mistakes and sins and all.
Daniel
As I expound a little more on the object lesson from yesterday, another parallel occurs to me:
The reason a mature musician ‘keeps trucking’ with their music is because they understand that music is a temporal art. Notice I did not say ‘temporary’, but ‘temporal’… meaning that it takes place in time. In that sense, it is unlike many of the visual arts, which can be done in stages. Take drawing, for example… say you wanted to draw the Empire State Building. You could start by getting just the outline done. Then, you could stop and put your pencils or chalk or whatever you were using away. You could come back the next day and start filling in some windows, and maybe the door. After another break, you could do the details (like shading or what have you) until you had the finished product. You could even go back at any point along the way and erase/correct something before you showed it to anyone.
But you can’t do that in music. Music happens… in time. If you make a mistake while playing a piece for someone, there is no ‘going back’ and ‘erasing’… you just have to keep going on… mistakes and all. And thus, music can be a very humbling art (which is really a good thing).
What drives a musician to play through the mistakes anyway is the ‘piece’ (the song). The piece is incomplete until the last note is played, that truth overrides all other parameters that a musician has… and so the ‘piece’ outweighs the ‘notes’.
Life is made up of a series of moments… and those moments may be ‘good’ or ‘bad’ at times. But our life here on earth isn’t over until we take our last breath, and so Paul encourages us as believers to run right up till our death… giving glory to God in all we do all along the way… mistakes and sins and all.
Daniel
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
#344.2 – “A Difference”
“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” - Acts 20:24
Anna has been taking piano lessons for a while now. At the very beginning of here training, there were a lot of wrong notes and repeated mistakes… pauses and corrections… and sometimes still repeated mistakes. Lately, Sarah and I have noticed that she is becoming much more capable with her playing. She still makes mistakes, of course, but they are fewer and farther between… and even more importantly, they trip her up less. I think that is the biggest sign to me that she is maturing as a player: the mistakes she does make do not hinder her from playing the piece she is working on at the time. Sometimes she will stop and fix them; sometimes, she may play ‘through’ them; but she still gets through the piece one way or another.
As I think of what ought to be some signs of being more mature in our faith, I think that sinning less should be in the list… but I also know that some sinning will still take place. And when it does, one sign of maturity is that it has less ‘effect’ on us, in terms of getting us off track from the mission God has called us to… what Paul referred to as ‘finishing the race’. When my sins cause me to focus so much on them that I miss the next thing God has in store for me, the song God has for me to play isn’t getting played. But when I can ‘go on’ and keep playing – knowing I am going to hit some ‘clunkers’ every now and then – and yet can still play the overall piece, then God is glorified… while His grace is shown as a needful thing.
Daniel
Anna has been taking piano lessons for a while now. At the very beginning of here training, there were a lot of wrong notes and repeated mistakes… pauses and corrections… and sometimes still repeated mistakes. Lately, Sarah and I have noticed that she is becoming much more capable with her playing. She still makes mistakes, of course, but they are fewer and farther between… and even more importantly, they trip her up less. I think that is the biggest sign to me that she is maturing as a player: the mistakes she does make do not hinder her from playing the piece she is working on at the time. Sometimes she will stop and fix them; sometimes, she may play ‘through’ them; but she still gets through the piece one way or another.
As I think of what ought to be some signs of being more mature in our faith, I think that sinning less should be in the list… but I also know that some sinning will still take place. And when it does, one sign of maturity is that it has less ‘effect’ on us, in terms of getting us off track from the mission God has called us to… what Paul referred to as ‘finishing the race’. When my sins cause me to focus so much on them that I miss the next thing God has in store for me, the song God has for me to play isn’t getting played. But when I can ‘go on’ and keep playing – knowing I am going to hit some ‘clunkers’ every now and then – and yet can still play the overall piece, then God is glorified… while His grace is shown as a needful thing.
Daniel
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
#344.1 – “Windex and Blood”
“… To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” - Revelation 1:5-6
Grant wanted to help me yesterday as I washed and cleaned the inside of Sarah’s car, so I gave him the job of cleaning the inside of the windows. He went around and sprayed them good with Windex… and then wiped them down with paper towels. Meanwhile, I was vacuuming and cleaning the rest of the car. When he got done with his job, he went out and played on his bike. After I had finished, I looked at the work he had done. There were streaks left where he had worked… but at least they were consistent; he hadn’t missed a spot! I showed them later to Sarah, with a certain pride. ‘Look’, I said, as I pointed to the streaks… ‘your son helped’.
When I think about how perfect God is and how imperfect I am, it is truly a wonder that He lets me help with His work at all. Even with the best and most focused intentions, I still leave a trail of splotches and streaks behind. And – just like I could let Grant go back over those windows again, only to still have some streaks left - I could wipe and sweat all day long, and still not be able to remove my sins. But the blood of Jesus comes along and cleans all of that in such a way that it doesn’t just look new; it is new.
Praise be to God, who makes all things new.
Daniel
Grant wanted to help me yesterday as I washed and cleaned the inside of Sarah’s car, so I gave him the job of cleaning the inside of the windows. He went around and sprayed them good with Windex… and then wiped them down with paper towels. Meanwhile, I was vacuuming and cleaning the rest of the car. When he got done with his job, he went out and played on his bike. After I had finished, I looked at the work he had done. There were streaks left where he had worked… but at least they were consistent; he hadn’t missed a spot! I showed them later to Sarah, with a certain pride. ‘Look’, I said, as I pointed to the streaks… ‘your son helped’.
When I think about how perfect God is and how imperfect I am, it is truly a wonder that He lets me help with His work at all. Even with the best and most focused intentions, I still leave a trail of splotches and streaks behind. And – just like I could let Grant go back over those windows again, only to still have some streaks left - I could wipe and sweat all day long, and still not be able to remove my sins. But the blood of Jesus comes along and cleans all of that in such a way that it doesn’t just look new; it is new.
Praise be to God, who makes all things new.
Daniel
Friday, June 17, 2011
#343.3 – “Like Having a Toddler… but without the Pull-Ups”
“Let Christ the King of Israel now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe. And they who were crucified with Him insulted Him.” - Mark 15:32
Joshua’s older brother also had an interesting story about getting up in the night…
We had gotten the kids in the bed one night recently, and Sarah and I stayed up to watch a favorite show of ours. A short time later, Grant came staggering in our room… wandered rather aimlessly into our bathroom… and attempted to find the light switch on the wrong side of the wall. If that wasn’t bad enough, he then stumbled toward the bathroom sink… turned on the faucet… and then began pulling down his underwear! Sarah and I, who had been watching this whole episode play out before our very eyes, realized what he was about to do, so we began yelling out ‘Stop, Grant… you’re not standing at the potty!’ He continued with his undressing at first, as if he did not process what we said.
We (very quickly!) repeated ourselves.
He then replied: ‘yes I am’.
‘No… you’re not, buddy… you’re at the sink’.
‘Oh,’ he answered, and quietly made his way a few feet over to the potty and there accomplished his mission… thankfully without creating a big mess in the floor!
When I told that story to him the next morning, he had absolutely no recollection of it whatsoever. He was so wiped out that night, he didn’t remember any of it!
Physical exhaustion can make you do some pretty crazy things. I cannot imagine how exhausted Jesus must have been during His time at the Garden of Gethsemane… His trial… His flogging… carrying His cross… and then, of course, His crucifixion. And yet, He never wavered from His appointed mission. Even in the face of ridicule from all sides, Jesus stayed on course and saw His plan through. He was so determined and so persistent that nothing could stop Him from loving you and me with his life.
Daniel
Joshua’s older brother also had an interesting story about getting up in the night…
We had gotten the kids in the bed one night recently, and Sarah and I stayed up to watch a favorite show of ours. A short time later, Grant came staggering in our room… wandered rather aimlessly into our bathroom… and attempted to find the light switch on the wrong side of the wall. If that wasn’t bad enough, he then stumbled toward the bathroom sink… turned on the faucet… and then began pulling down his underwear! Sarah and I, who had been watching this whole episode play out before our very eyes, realized what he was about to do, so we began yelling out ‘Stop, Grant… you’re not standing at the potty!’ He continued with his undressing at first, as if he did not process what we said.
We (very quickly!) repeated ourselves.
He then replied: ‘yes I am’.
‘No… you’re not, buddy… you’re at the sink’.
‘Oh,’ he answered, and quietly made his way a few feet over to the potty and there accomplished his mission… thankfully without creating a big mess in the floor!
When I told that story to him the next morning, he had absolutely no recollection of it whatsoever. He was so wiped out that night, he didn’t remember any of it!
Physical exhaustion can make you do some pretty crazy things. I cannot imagine how exhausted Jesus must have been during His time at the Garden of Gethsemane… His trial… His flogging… carrying His cross… and then, of course, His crucifixion. And yet, He never wavered from His appointed mission. Even in the face of ridicule from all sides, Jesus stayed on course and saw His plan through. He was so determined and so persistent that nothing could stop Him from loving you and me with his life.
Daniel
Thursday, June 16, 2011
#343.2 – “Like Having a Newborn… but without the Cute”
“… and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:20
Joshua has some kind of physical issue that must be causing him to occasionally choke and/or vomit, because he has had too many episodes for it to be coincidence. Just last week, he had two occasions – once when were eating out to celebrate Grammie’s birthday, and again the other night at the house. It is this last episode I will tell you about…
We had all gone to bed. Sarah said that she woke up when she heard Joshua in our bathroom. She found him curled up in the fetal position on the little mat that lies in the floor in front of my sink. She asked him if had been sick; he said that he had. She then encouraged him to come to bed with us for a while. None of this I heard or knew about at the time (if any of you are long-time readers of my devotions, you know that it is next to impossible to wake me once I fall asleep). I got my information the next day from the one who had been most of the night with him… the same woman who was up many nights when we had babies. She told me all about it from her state of sheer exhaustion the next day. I thought then that this was a lot like having a newborn in the house… but without the ‘cute’.
Being with somebody in their time of need is a mark of Christ-like empathy. By showing that we are willing to walk alongside someone in their trials and tribulations, we resemble the kind of ‘I will never you nor forsake you’ commitment that Christ has towards His Church. When we make that kind of commitment to each other, we are modeling the very character of Jesus. And that type of allegiance not only has an immeasurable impact on the recipient of such kindness, but also brings great glory to the One who first modeled it for and to us.
Daniel
p.s. we do have an appt for Joshua to find out what is at the bottom of his choking/vomiting
Joshua has some kind of physical issue that must be causing him to occasionally choke and/or vomit, because he has had too many episodes for it to be coincidence. Just last week, he had two occasions – once when were eating out to celebrate Grammie’s birthday, and again the other night at the house. It is this last episode I will tell you about…
We had all gone to bed. Sarah said that she woke up when she heard Joshua in our bathroom. She found him curled up in the fetal position on the little mat that lies in the floor in front of my sink. She asked him if had been sick; he said that he had. She then encouraged him to come to bed with us for a while. None of this I heard or knew about at the time (if any of you are long-time readers of my devotions, you know that it is next to impossible to wake me once I fall asleep). I got my information the next day from the one who had been most of the night with him… the same woman who was up many nights when we had babies. She told me all about it from her state of sheer exhaustion the next day. I thought then that this was a lot like having a newborn in the house… but without the ‘cute’.
Being with somebody in their time of need is a mark of Christ-like empathy. By showing that we are willing to walk alongside someone in their trials and tribulations, we resemble the kind of ‘I will never you nor forsake you’ commitment that Christ has towards His Church. When we make that kind of commitment to each other, we are modeling the very character of Jesus. And that type of allegiance not only has an immeasurable impact on the recipient of such kindness, but also brings great glory to the One who first modeled it for and to us.
Daniel
p.s. we do have an appt for Joshua to find out what is at the bottom of his choking/vomiting
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
#343.1 – “The All-Star”
“Now if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. Therefore let no one despise him. But send him on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I am waiting for him with the brethren.” - 1 Corinthians 16:10-11
Grant finished up playing ball with his regular season team a week ago, but he has been in all-star practices and/or games ever since. His last game is tonight, and they have officially placed second in their league. Grant has played very well in all of these post-season games, hitting the ball and getting on base and playing solid defense at his outfield position.
I think he has definitely enjoyed his baseball experience this year. Playing on the Cardinals team in the regular season was a great experience for him, because he had some really good coaches that taught him a lot about the game. He learned a good bit about hitting and playing defense.
For him to have been selected as an all-star was quite an honor. Whether that selection is based purely on stats… or is influenced by coaches’ recommendations… or both, the fact is that someone besides us had recognized that he has done well; it is confirmation of just how far he has come in one season.
That got me to thinking about the power of encouraging words and deeds. To have one Christian brother or sister acknowledge something they have seen in you – be it a spiritual gift that you are exercising, or an act of kindness in Jesus’ name, or anything of the sort – means a lot. Of course, our ultimate encouragement comes from the Lord. But there is strong tool to be used by Him of us in giving encouragement to each other. Let us prayerfully consider today how we might be an encourager of someone in their faith.
Daniel
Grant finished up playing ball with his regular season team a week ago, but he has been in all-star practices and/or games ever since. His last game is tonight, and they have officially placed second in their league. Grant has played very well in all of these post-season games, hitting the ball and getting on base and playing solid defense at his outfield position.
I think he has definitely enjoyed his baseball experience this year. Playing on the Cardinals team in the regular season was a great experience for him, because he had some really good coaches that taught him a lot about the game. He learned a good bit about hitting and playing defense.
For him to have been selected as an all-star was quite an honor. Whether that selection is based purely on stats… or is influenced by coaches’ recommendations… or both, the fact is that someone besides us had recognized that he has done well; it is confirmation of just how far he has come in one season.
That got me to thinking about the power of encouraging words and deeds. To have one Christian brother or sister acknowledge something they have seen in you – be it a spiritual gift that you are exercising, or an act of kindness in Jesus’ name, or anything of the sort – means a lot. Of course, our ultimate encouragement comes from the Lord. But there is strong tool to be used by Him of us in giving encouragement to each other. Let us prayerfully consider today how we might be an encourager of someone in their faith.
Daniel
Friday, June 3, 2011
#342.2 – “Our Standard”
“So that your lives might be pleasing to God, who has given you a part in His kingdom and His glory. And for this cause we still give praise to God, that, when the word came to your ears through us, you took it, not as the word of man, but, as it truly is, the word of God, which has living power in you who have faith.” - 1 Thessalonians 2:12-13
Anna, Ruthie, Grant, and Joshua all had excellent grades this year, and that makes us as parents so very proud. We know they are smart kids, but to see an objective standard ‘agree’ with that makes us thankful that they have all adjusted well to school and to what it is expected of them there. They (pretty much) follow the rules and do what they are supposed to do.
Our lives as Christians have the standard of the holiness of God and the character of Jesus’ life as set forth in the Bible. The Word of God shows us how we need His help and His Spirit living in us to guide us. We cannot live up to His standard on our own, but – with His help - we can seek to please Him in all we do.
Daniel
Anna, Ruthie, Grant, and Joshua all had excellent grades this year, and that makes us as parents so very proud. We know they are smart kids, but to see an objective standard ‘agree’ with that makes us thankful that they have all adjusted well to school and to what it is expected of them there. They (pretty much) follow the rules and do what they are supposed to do.
Our lives as Christians have the standard of the holiness of God and the character of Jesus’ life as set forth in the Bible. The Word of God shows us how we need His help and His Spirit living in us to guide us. We cannot live up to His standard on our own, but – with His help - we can seek to please Him in all we do.
Daniel
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
#342.1 – “A Persistent Little Bugger”
“Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” - Romans 12:12
Joshua had what acted like a little stomach bug two and a half weeks ago. Without complaining or even waking us up, he got up in the middle of the late night Friday/early morning Saturday hours with his stomach hurting. He actually had vomited twice before he woke Sarah up. Then he continued off and on through the night. That Saturday he was weak, but had stopped vomiting. By Saturday evening, he seemed to be better. Then early Sunday morning, he started throwing up again. But through it all Joshua never complained or cried about it. He just hung around and took it easy and eventually got better.
The bug (or whatever it was that was causing him to feel ill) was persistent, but so was Joshua. No matter how many times he had to get up and deal with it, he did. And he did what he was supposed to do - resting as much as he could… drinking and eating a little once he felt like it… and just living with it. By the third day, he was better.
Persistence is a quality of bugs that plague us. It is also a quality of our spiritual enemies as they wage war against us. It is, therefore, a quality that would behoove us to have as we engage them in battle. However, our persistence should not be rooted in regards to our own strength; rather, it ought to be seen in the way we seek to continually dwell in the presence of our Father, the Commander of the army.
Daniel
Joshua had what acted like a little stomach bug two and a half weeks ago. Without complaining or even waking us up, he got up in the middle of the late night Friday/early morning Saturday hours with his stomach hurting. He actually had vomited twice before he woke Sarah up. Then he continued off and on through the night. That Saturday he was weak, but had stopped vomiting. By Saturday evening, he seemed to be better. Then early Sunday morning, he started throwing up again. But through it all Joshua never complained or cried about it. He just hung around and took it easy and eventually got better.
The bug (or whatever it was that was causing him to feel ill) was persistent, but so was Joshua. No matter how many times he had to get up and deal with it, he did. And he did what he was supposed to do - resting as much as he could… drinking and eating a little once he felt like it… and just living with it. By the third day, he was better.
Persistence is a quality of bugs that plague us. It is also a quality of our spiritual enemies as they wage war against us. It is, therefore, a quality that would behoove us to have as we engage them in battle. However, our persistence should not be rooted in regards to our own strength; rather, it ought to be seen in the way we seek to continually dwell in the presence of our Father, the Commander of the army.
Daniel
Friday, May 27, 2011
#341.3 – “Right There the Whole Time”
“… have no fear for I am with you…” - Genesis 26:24
For the last week or two of school, Anna was supposed to wear some rubber bands on her braces, to help align her top and bottom jaws. The orthodontist had given her two packets of rubber bands. There were a couple of days when she had forgotten her bands at home and I had to go back and get them. After the second time, I suggested that she bring a packet to school and leave them there so she would have them if she forgot to put them at home. When she forgot the third day in a row, I told her I was not going to go get them again and that she needed to remember them for herself. She got home that afternoon and emptied her pocket… and discovered that she had a pack in her pocket the whole time!
Sometimes we go through struggles and trials as believers in Christ and we attempt to tackle those things in our own strength and with our own understanding. We engage in spiritual warfare without ever asking God for help. We fight defeated… and all the time we have God in our pocket, so to speak.
God, today help me to realize my only source of strength and victory is You. Grant me an awareness of You throughout my day.
Daniel
For the last week or two of school, Anna was supposed to wear some rubber bands on her braces, to help align her top and bottom jaws. The orthodontist had given her two packets of rubber bands. There were a couple of days when she had forgotten her bands at home and I had to go back and get them. After the second time, I suggested that she bring a packet to school and leave them there so she would have them if she forgot to put them at home. When she forgot the third day in a row, I told her I was not going to go get them again and that she needed to remember them for herself. She got home that afternoon and emptied her pocket… and discovered that she had a pack in her pocket the whole time!
Sometimes we go through struggles and trials as believers in Christ and we attempt to tackle those things in our own strength and with our own understanding. We engage in spiritual warfare without ever asking God for help. We fight defeated… and all the time we have God in our pocket, so to speak.
God, today help me to realize my only source of strength and victory is You. Grant me an awareness of You throughout my day.
Daniel
Thursday, May 26, 2011
#341.2 – “Bumps”
“And because the revelations were so very great, in order that I might not be overmuch lifted up, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, one sent from Satan to give me pain. And about this thing I made request to the Lord three times that it might be taken away from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is enough for you, for My power is made complete in what is feeble’. Most gladly, then, will I take pride in my feeble body, so that the power of Christ may be on me. So I take pleasure in being feeble, in unkind words, in needs, in cruel attacks, in troubles, on account of Christ: for when I am feeble, then am I strong.” - 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
The past few months, Grant has had a rash come up over his torso that causes these little red bumps. We took him to the pediatrician and then later to the dermatologist, and they both said that it was a virus that will eventually work its way out of his system. The treatment they recommended was a cream that you put on the bumps before he goes to bed at night. This is to help dry up the bumps and, in time, cause them to recede. The only problem with it is that if you give him too much medication, it irritates his skin and makes it itch worse than if you do nothing. So there is a constant balancing game that we have to play to keep the bumps in check and not hurt him too much either. Still – despite the discomfort – he doesn’t seem to let it keep him from doing what he wants.
In the context of the Christian life, there are some things and times that are kind of like those bumps – unexpected and sometimes irritating. Sometimes they take a while to work out. Sometimes the more you try to deal with them, the worse it seems to get. Take Paul’s experience. He had something that was just bothering him without end. Three times he pleaded with the Lord to remove it, but instead of removing the ‘thorn’, God used that experience to show His grace is a new and mighty way to Paul. For apart from that bump in Paul’s road, the temptation might have been for him to think a little too highly of himself and not near enough of God. But because God’s grace was a well on which Paul was desperate to draw from, it kept him at a place of acknowledgement that he needed God. And that constant reminder was undoubtedly necessary in God’s understanding, as He left Paul with it.
God uses even the bumps in the road of our Christian life to help us stay focused on Christ and His grace and what He has done for us. Let us then be grateful then, with the understanding that the bumps aren’t just there to aggravate us, but to keep us close to God.
Daniel
The past few months, Grant has had a rash come up over his torso that causes these little red bumps. We took him to the pediatrician and then later to the dermatologist, and they both said that it was a virus that will eventually work its way out of his system. The treatment they recommended was a cream that you put on the bumps before he goes to bed at night. This is to help dry up the bumps and, in time, cause them to recede. The only problem with it is that if you give him too much medication, it irritates his skin and makes it itch worse than if you do nothing. So there is a constant balancing game that we have to play to keep the bumps in check and not hurt him too much either. Still – despite the discomfort – he doesn’t seem to let it keep him from doing what he wants.
In the context of the Christian life, there are some things and times that are kind of like those bumps – unexpected and sometimes irritating. Sometimes they take a while to work out. Sometimes the more you try to deal with them, the worse it seems to get. Take Paul’s experience. He had something that was just bothering him without end. Three times he pleaded with the Lord to remove it, but instead of removing the ‘thorn’, God used that experience to show His grace is a new and mighty way to Paul. For apart from that bump in Paul’s road, the temptation might have been for him to think a little too highly of himself and not near enough of God. But because God’s grace was a well on which Paul was desperate to draw from, it kept him at a place of acknowledgement that he needed God. And that constant reminder was undoubtedly necessary in God’s understanding, as He left Paul with it.
God uses even the bumps in the road of our Christian life to help us stay focused on Christ and His grace and what He has done for us. Let us then be grateful then, with the understanding that the bumps aren’t just there to aggravate us, but to keep us close to God.
Daniel
Monday, May 23, 2011
#341.1 – “Pay Attention”
“… there is the more need for us to give attention to the things which have come to our ears, for fear that by chance we might be slipping away.” - Hebrews 2:1
There was a day not long ago when I carried our boys to the elementary school and there picked up two friends, both of whom are in Ruthie’s class, to take them with the girls to the intermediate school. Ruthie was excited about having her friends in the van with her that day; in fact she was so excited that, when it was time for them to get out and go into the intermediate school, she was trying so hard to keep up with her two friends that she had an accident. She was trying to run and catch up with her friends… and close the van door all at the same time… and, not looking where she was going, she ended up running into the one of the awning poles and hurting herself on the head.
Ruthie had so many things going on in her mind that morning that she was not paying attention to what was right in front of her.
That is the case sometimes with me and my relationship with God. There are times when I get caught up in the work I am doing… or the tasks before me in a day… and I miss God being right there in front of me. I pass over Him instead of letting His blood and His grace pass over me. Then oftentimes something comes along and whacks me on the head spiritually and I wake up and realize I have missed Him.
Lord, help me to pay attention to You from the very beginning of my day to its end.
Daniel
There was a day not long ago when I carried our boys to the elementary school and there picked up two friends, both of whom are in Ruthie’s class, to take them with the girls to the intermediate school. Ruthie was excited about having her friends in the van with her that day; in fact she was so excited that, when it was time for them to get out and go into the intermediate school, she was trying so hard to keep up with her two friends that she had an accident. She was trying to run and catch up with her friends… and close the van door all at the same time… and, not looking where she was going, she ended up running into the one of the awning poles and hurting herself on the head.
Ruthie had so many things going on in her mind that morning that she was not paying attention to what was right in front of her.
That is the case sometimes with me and my relationship with God. There are times when I get caught up in the work I am doing… or the tasks before me in a day… and I miss God being right there in front of me. I pass over Him instead of letting His blood and His grace pass over me. Then oftentimes something comes along and whacks me on the head spiritually and I wake up and realize I have missed Him.
Lord, help me to pay attention to You from the very beginning of my day to its end.
Daniel
Friday, May 20, 2011
#340.4 – “Excuses”
“And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."” - Genesis 3:11-13
Last Tuesday, Anna was sick and missed school. Wednesday morning, I was writing her a note to take to school (just to explain why she had been out)… when she tells me that she had homework from Monday that she did not do. She asked me while I was writing that note (which goes to the principal’s office) if I would write another one (for her teacher) saying that she was sick Tuesday and therefore did not do her homework that was due Wednesday. The only problem I had with that was that she could have done it on Monday night; she was not sick then. Of course, Grant did have a ballgame that night… but there are many times when she brings a book to read during his game… and there have been times when she has done homework during a game. The fact is that she could have easily done it then; she just didn’t want to. And the thing that aggravated me the most about it all was that she did not tell me about this homework until Wednesday morning, when we were on the way out the door to go to school.
So I told her that I could not do that for her. I felt that it was not right for me to alleviate the consequences of her choosing not to do it on Monday by writing a note of excuse for her on Wednesday morning. I felt that this was a lesson she needed to learn – that she is responsible for her actions and she could not reasonably expect me to ‘fix’ things for her that she has caused. And so I didn’t. I explained why I didn’t, but I didn’t. Later she told me that she was able to get it done during lunch period (which was great to me, because it showed me that she knew she had to ‘fix’ this herself, and she did).
Responsibility is sometimes a hard lesson to learn. I think about Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden; when confronted by God with their disobedience, they both blamed someone else. They were not willing to take responsibility for their actions.
We all must learn that our choices have consequences – sometimes for us only... sometimes for others, too… and all the time in relation to God – and that we are solely responsible for our choices.
Daniel
Last Tuesday, Anna was sick and missed school. Wednesday morning, I was writing her a note to take to school (just to explain why she had been out)… when she tells me that she had homework from Monday that she did not do. She asked me while I was writing that note (which goes to the principal’s office) if I would write another one (for her teacher) saying that she was sick Tuesday and therefore did not do her homework that was due Wednesday. The only problem I had with that was that she could have done it on Monday night; she was not sick then. Of course, Grant did have a ballgame that night… but there are many times when she brings a book to read during his game… and there have been times when she has done homework during a game. The fact is that she could have easily done it then; she just didn’t want to. And the thing that aggravated me the most about it all was that she did not tell me about this homework until Wednesday morning, when we were on the way out the door to go to school.
So I told her that I could not do that for her. I felt that it was not right for me to alleviate the consequences of her choosing not to do it on Monday by writing a note of excuse for her on Wednesday morning. I felt that this was a lesson she needed to learn – that she is responsible for her actions and she could not reasonably expect me to ‘fix’ things for her that she has caused. And so I didn’t. I explained why I didn’t, but I didn’t. Later she told me that she was able to get it done during lunch period (which was great to me, because it showed me that she knew she had to ‘fix’ this herself, and she did).
Responsibility is sometimes a hard lesson to learn. I think about Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden; when confronted by God with their disobedience, they both blamed someone else. They were not willing to take responsibility for their actions.
We all must learn that our choices have consequences – sometimes for us only... sometimes for others, too… and all the time in relation to God – and that we are solely responsible for our choices.
Daniel
Thursday, May 19, 2011
#340.3 – “The Morning After”
“So the Lord would have nothing to do with all the offspring of Israel, and sent trouble on them, and gave them up into the hands of their attackers, till he had sent them away from before his face. For Israel was broken off from the family of David, and they made Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, king, who, driving them away from the laws of the Lord, made them do a great sin.” - 2 Kings 17:20-21
A couple of weekends ago, Joshua was so exhausted from all that we had been involved with - culminating in a late Saturday afternoon game - that he fell asleep on the way home from that game, at approximately 6:30. When we got home, we agreed we would just let him sleep the rest of night if he would. ‘IF’ is the key word in that phrase. He got up at some point in the early morning hours and kept Sarah up the rest of the night, causing them both to miss church the next day due to sheer exhaustion.
Our actions have consequences. Sometimes our actions affect others and cause consequences for them too. Sarah would have slept all night were it not for Joshua coming in our room and waking her up. But because he did, she could not get the sleep she needed.
Our sin caused consequences for Jesus. HE had to die a cruel death on the cross to pay for OUR sins. Now, of course, He knew all along that this was going to be the case and, therefore, it is more like a plan from the start than an afterthought consequence, but the truth is still: He died for us. Were it not for my sin and your sin, Jesus’ death would have been unnecessary. My choices produced a reality for Him that would not have been needed otherwise.
Our sins also cause consequences for others. There is more than one recorded act in the Bible where a certain leader’s sin causes a family or a nation to go the wrong direction.
Lord, help me to see that my sin not only helped bring You to Your fate, but that my sin oftentimes has consequences that affect others around me. May my love for You and for them produce better choices in me.
Daniel
A couple of weekends ago, Joshua was so exhausted from all that we had been involved with - culminating in a late Saturday afternoon game - that he fell asleep on the way home from that game, at approximately 6:30. When we got home, we agreed we would just let him sleep the rest of night if he would. ‘IF’ is the key word in that phrase. He got up at some point in the early morning hours and kept Sarah up the rest of the night, causing them both to miss church the next day due to sheer exhaustion.
Our actions have consequences. Sometimes our actions affect others and cause consequences for them too. Sarah would have slept all night were it not for Joshua coming in our room and waking her up. But because he did, she could not get the sleep she needed.
Our sin caused consequences for Jesus. HE had to die a cruel death on the cross to pay for OUR sins. Now, of course, He knew all along that this was going to be the case and, therefore, it is more like a plan from the start than an afterthought consequence, but the truth is still: He died for us. Were it not for my sin and your sin, Jesus’ death would have been unnecessary. My choices produced a reality for Him that would not have been needed otherwise.
Our sins also cause consequences for others. There is more than one recorded act in the Bible where a certain leader’s sin causes a family or a nation to go the wrong direction.
Lord, help me to see that my sin not only helped bring You to Your fate, but that my sin oftentimes has consequences that affect others around me. May my love for You and for them produce better choices in me.
Daniel
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
#340.2 – “Priceless”
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us...” - John 1:14
Grant had a ball game a few weeks ago on a Monday night at 7. Sarah and I have community band practice Monday nights at 7. So we agreed that she would take Grant to his game and stay there with him, and I would go to band practice (we would have both gone to the game, except it was nearing our spring concert, and we hated to both not go to band). Well thankfully, it worked out where band let out right on time and Grant’s game had started late… so I got the word from Sarah when I got out of band that the game was still on… and I hurried to make it in time to see the end.
It had been an exciting game (Sarah would update me with texts throughout the night). Our whole team had played well, and Grant had been having an exceptional night. It was one of the close games that had gone back and forth. By the time I drove up, it was the bottom of the last inning. I could see that our team was behind two points, with one out, bases loaded, a batter up, and Grant on deck. The next batter got a hit, sending in one run, but the runner coming from second to third got out. When Grant got up to bat, our team was one point down with two outs and runners on first and second. In the meantime, I had made it from my truck to behind home plate. I yelled to let him know I was there to watch him hit that ball and win the game (a little pep talk, to boost his confidence)… and that is exactly what he did. He hit a solid hit right up the middle that rolled into the outfield. The defense was scampering to get the ball. The two runners ahead of Grant scored by the time he made it around to second base, and we had won the game. Everybody on our side cheered like crazy! Grant was ecstatic, and so were we!
That moment was a priceless one for me, and I am so grateful that I got to witness it. Sarah could have texted me about it… or told me about it after the game… or even sent me a picture or two showing bits and pieces of it… but it would not have been the same as being there. That moment was a shared experience – one that our entire team and their families will remember fondly for a while (and I know it is one Grant will remember for a LONG time)!
Jesus could have just heard about our pains and sufferings; He could have just watched from a distance regarding our trials and tribulations; He could have sent a note of congratulations to us in our moments of victory; but He instead came and lived among us and felt those very same things for Himself. He understood those feelings from a human perspective because He shared those types of experiences… and that makes Him priceless to those who know Him as Savior.
Daniel
Grant had a ball game a few weeks ago on a Monday night at 7. Sarah and I have community band practice Monday nights at 7. So we agreed that she would take Grant to his game and stay there with him, and I would go to band practice (we would have both gone to the game, except it was nearing our spring concert, and we hated to both not go to band). Well thankfully, it worked out where band let out right on time and Grant’s game had started late… so I got the word from Sarah when I got out of band that the game was still on… and I hurried to make it in time to see the end.
It had been an exciting game (Sarah would update me with texts throughout the night). Our whole team had played well, and Grant had been having an exceptional night. It was one of the close games that had gone back and forth. By the time I drove up, it was the bottom of the last inning. I could see that our team was behind two points, with one out, bases loaded, a batter up, and Grant on deck. The next batter got a hit, sending in one run, but the runner coming from second to third got out. When Grant got up to bat, our team was one point down with two outs and runners on first and second. In the meantime, I had made it from my truck to behind home plate. I yelled to let him know I was there to watch him hit that ball and win the game (a little pep talk, to boost his confidence)… and that is exactly what he did. He hit a solid hit right up the middle that rolled into the outfield. The defense was scampering to get the ball. The two runners ahead of Grant scored by the time he made it around to second base, and we had won the game. Everybody on our side cheered like crazy! Grant was ecstatic, and so were we!
That moment was a priceless one for me, and I am so grateful that I got to witness it. Sarah could have texted me about it… or told me about it after the game… or even sent me a picture or two showing bits and pieces of it… but it would not have been the same as being there. That moment was a shared experience – one that our entire team and their families will remember fondly for a while (and I know it is one Grant will remember for a LONG time)!
Jesus could have just heard about our pains and sufferings; He could have just watched from a distance regarding our trials and tribulations; He could have sent a note of congratulations to us in our moments of victory; but He instead came and lived among us and felt those very same things for Himself. He understood those feelings from a human perspective because He shared those types of experiences… and that makes Him priceless to those who know Him as Savior.
Daniel
Monday, May 16, 2011
#340.1 – “Asleep on the… Hey!!!”
“Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness.” - Psalms 119:40
Before Sarah took Ruthie to her guitar lesson a couple of weeks ago, she dropped off Anna, Grant, and Joshua here at the church building. They all had some homework, but Joshua’s only took about five minutes. After he was finished, he played for a while around the church. Since they practically have this as their second home, I was not really worried about watching him and what he was doing… as I was concentrating on my own work.
When Sarah came back with Ruthie, she laughed as she came down the hall to my office. When I asked her what was so funny, she told me to go check in the room across the hall (the one with the couches). Sure enough, there Joshua was - laid out cold! I mean, he was sound asleep. In fact, he was so sound asleep that we were able to have our staff meeting in that room (our usual meeting place) just a few minutes later. All of the guys laughed as they came in and saw my boy crashed on the sofa… and they were all equally tickled when I told them they we could still meet in there and it wouldn’t bother Joshua’s sleep one bit. ‘He’s got three siblings,’ I told them ‘and he’s used to being able to sleep through all kinds of racket!’
Nothing was going to disturb Joshua’s need for rest that day. Oh how I would like to have that same kind of singular focus when it comes to my need for God and His Word! If I would only ‘shut out’ every single thing that would seek to interrupt or sway me from the treasure that is found only in Him.
Lord, help me to learn a lesson about recognizing and surrendering to my need of You.
Daniel
Before Sarah took Ruthie to her guitar lesson a couple of weeks ago, she dropped off Anna, Grant, and Joshua here at the church building. They all had some homework, but Joshua’s only took about five minutes. After he was finished, he played for a while around the church. Since they practically have this as their second home, I was not really worried about watching him and what he was doing… as I was concentrating on my own work.
When Sarah came back with Ruthie, she laughed as she came down the hall to my office. When I asked her what was so funny, she told me to go check in the room across the hall (the one with the couches). Sure enough, there Joshua was - laid out cold! I mean, he was sound asleep. In fact, he was so sound asleep that we were able to have our staff meeting in that room (our usual meeting place) just a few minutes later. All of the guys laughed as they came in and saw my boy crashed on the sofa… and they were all equally tickled when I told them they we could still meet in there and it wouldn’t bother Joshua’s sleep one bit. ‘He’s got three siblings,’ I told them ‘and he’s used to being able to sleep through all kinds of racket!’
Nothing was going to disturb Joshua’s need for rest that day. Oh how I would like to have that same kind of singular focus when it comes to my need for God and His Word! If I would only ‘shut out’ every single thing that would seek to interrupt or sway me from the treasure that is found only in Him.
Lord, help me to learn a lesson about recognizing and surrendering to my need of You.
Daniel
Friday, May 13, 2011
#339.4 – “The Fall”
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and a delight to the eyes, and to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and gave it to her husband.” - Genesis 3:6
Grant and another teammate were at one of their practices a few weeks ago, and they both were chasing after the same ball. Somehow the other little boy tripped Grant, who landed pretty hard on his wrist. We thought it best to get it checked, so the next morning we took him to get an x-ray of it. It turns out that he did not fracture it; it was merely a sprain. The suggested treatment was to keep it wrapped and put ice on it for a few days. We did, and he was feeling much better by that weekend.
That was one of those moments that could have gone either way. We could have been looking at a fracture which, of course, not only would have meant that he couldn’t play for a while, but would have kept him from doing a lot more than that.
Moments can sometimes be just that… moments. And then again, moments can sometimes have lasting consequences. They can cause effects that hurt for a long time. Such was the case for Adam and Eve in the garden; their moment of disobedience led to a legacy of sin and pain and agony… one that still has effects today.
But praise God: His one-time death on the cross defeated the effects of sin forever for those that believe in Jesus, and that ‘moment’ of His resurrection makes possible a victory we can have over death and hell.
There is a moment for me, at which I decided to trust His sacrifice on my behalf, and accept the gracious effects of it for my very own. That moment forever changed my destiny… and I want to take this moment to encourage any of you who have never had such a moment to consider this as an opportunity to do so. Take this time to talk to God and confess your need of Him. Open your heart and let Him come in and accept His grace-gift to you. And then tell others what you have done and share the good news with them. Experience the greatest moment of all today.
Daniel
Grant and another teammate were at one of their practices a few weeks ago, and they both were chasing after the same ball. Somehow the other little boy tripped Grant, who landed pretty hard on his wrist. We thought it best to get it checked, so the next morning we took him to get an x-ray of it. It turns out that he did not fracture it; it was merely a sprain. The suggested treatment was to keep it wrapped and put ice on it for a few days. We did, and he was feeling much better by that weekend.
That was one of those moments that could have gone either way. We could have been looking at a fracture which, of course, not only would have meant that he couldn’t play for a while, but would have kept him from doing a lot more than that.
Moments can sometimes be just that… moments. And then again, moments can sometimes have lasting consequences. They can cause effects that hurt for a long time. Such was the case for Adam and Eve in the garden; their moment of disobedience led to a legacy of sin and pain and agony… one that still has effects today.
But praise God: His one-time death on the cross defeated the effects of sin forever for those that believe in Jesus, and that ‘moment’ of His resurrection makes possible a victory we can have over death and hell.
There is a moment for me, at which I decided to trust His sacrifice on my behalf, and accept the gracious effects of it for my very own. That moment forever changed my destiny… and I want to take this moment to encourage any of you who have never had such a moment to consider this as an opportunity to do so. Take this time to talk to God and confess your need of Him. Open your heart and let Him come in and accept His grace-gift to you. And then tell others what you have done and share the good news with them. Experience the greatest moment of all today.
Daniel
Thursday, May 12, 2011
#339.3 – “Ruthie and the First Day Back after Spring Break”
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” - John 14:26
During spring break, our kids stayed home and played around the house. We did not take a trip or do anything special and yet, they had a great time just taking it easy for a week. I think everyone enjoyed the rest and relaxation associated with the break.
And then came the time to go back to school… and wouldn’t you know it? Ruthie woke up that Monday with a pretty good headache. I figured that it had to be due to the fact that they were up the night before a little bit later than they normally would have been… you know, stretching out that spring break as long as they could. Ruthie felt bad that morning. But, knowing what it was, I couldn’t just let her skip school because she had too much fun the night before… so I gave her a couple of headache pills and sent her on.
I have done and still do the very same thing sometimes – staying up too late when I know I ought to go to bed. And I have had several ‘next days’ when I had a gentle reminder – whether it was in the form of a headache or grogginess or lack of concentration – that my actions have consequences. And those ‘reminders’ prompt me (sometimes!) to alter my course of action.
The Holy Spirit often serves to gently remind us of God’s character and how we ought to resemble that in our daily lives. He takes our study of God’s Word and reveals to us the truth that God wants to teach us. He lovingly corrects us when we need it, and He points us to the way we ought to go. We should be most grateful for those loving, gentle reminders that help us become more like Christ.
Daniel
p.s. - that afternoon, I asked Ruthie if her headache went away and she said it did.
During spring break, our kids stayed home and played around the house. We did not take a trip or do anything special and yet, they had a great time just taking it easy for a week. I think everyone enjoyed the rest and relaxation associated with the break.
And then came the time to go back to school… and wouldn’t you know it? Ruthie woke up that Monday with a pretty good headache. I figured that it had to be due to the fact that they were up the night before a little bit later than they normally would have been… you know, stretching out that spring break as long as they could. Ruthie felt bad that morning. But, knowing what it was, I couldn’t just let her skip school because she had too much fun the night before… so I gave her a couple of headache pills and sent her on.
I have done and still do the very same thing sometimes – staying up too late when I know I ought to go to bed. And I have had several ‘next days’ when I had a gentle reminder – whether it was in the form of a headache or grogginess or lack of concentration – that my actions have consequences. And those ‘reminders’ prompt me (sometimes!) to alter my course of action.
The Holy Spirit often serves to gently remind us of God’s character and how we ought to resemble that in our daily lives. He takes our study of God’s Word and reveals to us the truth that God wants to teach us. He lovingly corrects us when we need it, and He points us to the way we ought to go. We should be most grateful for those loving, gentle reminders that help us become more like Christ.
Daniel
p.s. - that afternoon, I asked Ruthie if her headache went away and she said it did.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
#339.2 – “Grant, the Sweaty Boy”
“And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!” - 2 Timothy 4:18
As parents, there are a few traits that Sarah and I can see in kids as being ones that definitely came from one or the other of us. Ruthie being able to laugh so freely at herself is a Sarah trait. Anna being an aggravator comes from me. Joshua being a stinker… well, once again, comes from me. And another one that comes from me - a physical trait - is Grant’s sweaty self. I can remember being sweaty as a boy – running and playing and having a good time, and coming home looking like I had dipped my head and shoulders and underarms (not quite sure how you could dip underarms, but anyway) in the river. And bless my dear mother’s heart, she never fussed; she just took and washed my nasty clothes for me. Mine weren’t the only nasty clothes in the machine, though. I remember seeing my dad’s work clothes look a lot like mine, usually worse. That’s because he was a ‘sweater’, too. It is a bond that many of us Metcalfe men share: sweat. When we work or play outside on a day like these days lately have been, we are going to sweat. What am I saying? When we just stand out in the sun for a while on days like these, we sweat!
Well, this little sweat gene has definitely been passed onto Grant, who I remember recently was sweating like he had been out in the Sahara on the night of Patrick’s birthday party, when it was 45 degrees outside. We came to the party (which was held here in the youth room) and, after a while, Grant and several of the kids went and played in the gym (which, admittedly was not 45 degrees, but was not that warm either). Of all the kids playing there, Grant was the only one whose head was soaked afterwards. And it’s not because he plays harder, or does anything differently… he’s just sweaty. Period.
This sweat gene links my son indelibly to me, and me to my father. It is something that will never change. It will not go away. Grant’s sweatiness is here to stay… as is mine and my father’s. And so we have somewhat of a permanent bond. But that bond is nothing compared to the bond that God places with us once we come to accept Jesus as our Savior. At that moment of acceptance, He gives us His Holy Spirit to come and live inside of us… to be our forever Friend and companion… to lead and to guide us in His ways. It is truly a permanent bond, because it lasts for all eternity. And it is a bond which should lead to our becoming more and more like Christ as we live for Him and seek Him, thus resulting in an even greater likeness in us to our Lord.
Daniel
As parents, there are a few traits that Sarah and I can see in kids as being ones that definitely came from one or the other of us. Ruthie being able to laugh so freely at herself is a Sarah trait. Anna being an aggravator comes from me. Joshua being a stinker… well, once again, comes from me. And another one that comes from me - a physical trait - is Grant’s sweaty self. I can remember being sweaty as a boy – running and playing and having a good time, and coming home looking like I had dipped my head and shoulders and underarms (not quite sure how you could dip underarms, but anyway) in the river. And bless my dear mother’s heart, she never fussed; she just took and washed my nasty clothes for me. Mine weren’t the only nasty clothes in the machine, though. I remember seeing my dad’s work clothes look a lot like mine, usually worse. That’s because he was a ‘sweater’, too. It is a bond that many of us Metcalfe men share: sweat. When we work or play outside on a day like these days lately have been, we are going to sweat. What am I saying? When we just stand out in the sun for a while on days like these, we sweat!
Well, this little sweat gene has definitely been passed onto Grant, who I remember recently was sweating like he had been out in the Sahara on the night of Patrick’s birthday party, when it was 45 degrees outside. We came to the party (which was held here in the youth room) and, after a while, Grant and several of the kids went and played in the gym (which, admittedly was not 45 degrees, but was not that warm either). Of all the kids playing there, Grant was the only one whose head was soaked afterwards. And it’s not because he plays harder, or does anything differently… he’s just sweaty. Period.
This sweat gene links my son indelibly to me, and me to my father. It is something that will never change. It will not go away. Grant’s sweatiness is here to stay… as is mine and my father’s. And so we have somewhat of a permanent bond. But that bond is nothing compared to the bond that God places with us once we come to accept Jesus as our Savior. At that moment of acceptance, He gives us His Holy Spirit to come and live inside of us… to be our forever Friend and companion… to lead and to guide us in His ways. It is truly a permanent bond, because it lasts for all eternity. And it is a bond which should lead to our becoming more and more like Christ as we live for Him and seek Him, thus resulting in an even greater likeness in us to our Lord.
Daniel
Monday, May 9, 2011
#339.1 – “The Fort Builders”
“And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” - Hebrews 9:15
The last time we were at my parent’s house, Grant and Joshua decided to build a fort using two fold-out cots they use to sleep on when there. They turned them on their sides… folded them a bit so they would stand up… brought them somewhat close together, leaving just enough room for a ‘gate’… and immediately established the rules of how to get in or out.
The only way in through the gate was to use a password. They decided what the password was and then told me, so I could get in. They agreed that the password was only needed to get in; you did not have to use it to get back out. After several times of going in and out of the gate – and having to use the password each time to get back in - they decided they would create a ‘secret’ entrance just for those of us who were part of the ‘in’ crowd, and the password no longer was necessary for the three of us.
When the boys set up their ‘rules’ for the fort, they had already decided in their minds that they wanted me to be in there with them. So when the rules would have kept me out, they gave me what I needed to get in. And when the password-system proved exhausting, they established a new system, which made the old one unnecessary.
That is exactly what God has done for you and me. He decided ahead of time that He wanted you and me to have a relationship with Him. But He saw that the rules and works-system would only keep us out… so He created a new system - one based on faith in His Son Jesus, who met the requirements of the law and fulfilled all of its demands. Now we can gain access to God by simply trusting in what Jesus has done in paving the way for us. In fact, He didn’t just pave the way; He IS the way.
Let us celebrate the standing we have because of what Christ has done for us. And if you know of someone who is still on the other side of the gate, show them the Way.
Daniel
The last time we were at my parent’s house, Grant and Joshua decided to build a fort using two fold-out cots they use to sleep on when there. They turned them on their sides… folded them a bit so they would stand up… brought them somewhat close together, leaving just enough room for a ‘gate’… and immediately established the rules of how to get in or out.
The only way in through the gate was to use a password. They decided what the password was and then told me, so I could get in. They agreed that the password was only needed to get in; you did not have to use it to get back out. After several times of going in and out of the gate – and having to use the password each time to get back in - they decided they would create a ‘secret’ entrance just for those of us who were part of the ‘in’ crowd, and the password no longer was necessary for the three of us.
When the boys set up their ‘rules’ for the fort, they had already decided in their minds that they wanted me to be in there with them. So when the rules would have kept me out, they gave me what I needed to get in. And when the password-system proved exhausting, they established a new system, which made the old one unnecessary.
That is exactly what God has done for you and me. He decided ahead of time that He wanted you and me to have a relationship with Him. But He saw that the rules and works-system would only keep us out… so He created a new system - one based on faith in His Son Jesus, who met the requirements of the law and fulfilled all of its demands. Now we can gain access to God by simply trusting in what Jesus has done in paving the way for us. In fact, He didn’t just pave the way; He IS the way.
Let us celebrate the standing we have because of what Christ has done for us. And if you know of someone who is still on the other side of the gate, show them the Way.
Daniel
Monday, April 25, 2011
#338.1 – “Growing”
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” - 2 Peter 3:18
Grant is playing ball again this year, and he has really seemed to enjoy and to learn a lot this time around. I took him to a batting practice a couple of weeks ago, and I noticed that he had significantly improved from the beginning of this year. He hit around half of the pitches that came from the machine that night, which was so much more than what he hit the first practice. His stance has improved dramatically… and his follow-through is much better as well. Consequently, he is hitting more… and he is hitting them a little farther.
It is neat to watch all the kids on the team improve as the year goes on. They are learning by listening to their coaches and putting into practice what they are being taught.
The same is true for believers in Christ. In order to grow in our faith, we must listen to our ‘coach’ (the Holy Spirit) as He imparts wisdom from God’s Word to us… and we must adjust our lives to the teachings we receive and make the necessary corrections in order to line ourselves up with what is being taught. As we do, we will see that a change is being made in us – one that will have lasting impact not only on us, but on those around us as well. As we come together with other believers (our ‘team’) we gain strength from the group and we grow that much more.
Daniel
Grant is playing ball again this year, and he has really seemed to enjoy and to learn a lot this time around. I took him to a batting practice a couple of weeks ago, and I noticed that he had significantly improved from the beginning of this year. He hit around half of the pitches that came from the machine that night, which was so much more than what he hit the first practice. His stance has improved dramatically… and his follow-through is much better as well. Consequently, he is hitting more… and he is hitting them a little farther.
It is neat to watch all the kids on the team improve as the year goes on. They are learning by listening to their coaches and putting into practice what they are being taught.
The same is true for believers in Christ. In order to grow in our faith, we must listen to our ‘coach’ (the Holy Spirit) as He imparts wisdom from God’s Word to us… and we must adjust our lives to the teachings we receive and make the necessary corrections in order to line ourselves up with what is being taught. As we do, we will see that a change is being made in us – one that will have lasting impact not only on us, but on those around us as well. As we come together with other believers (our ‘team’) we gain strength from the group and we grow that much more.
Daniel
Friday, April 22, 2011
#337.4 – “Put That in Your Funny World!”
“When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad.” - Psalms 126:1-3
The night that I was told one of the stories of Joshua being in the road, we were at the supper table (by the way, there is nothing better to liven up mealtime conversation than a good Joshua story; if you need any, I can loan you some!); Sarah was telling the tale, and we were all listening (including Joshua). When she had finished, she suggested that I put that story in one of my devotions. Joshua chimed in right behind her and said to me: “Yeah, put that in your funny world!”
After a few moments of chaotic laughing from all who were present, Joshua went on to explain that that is what he does: whenever something funny happens to him or because of him (and there are plenty of both), he puts it away in his head; then later, when he wants to laugh, he just pulls it out and thinks about it and laughs!
Pretty good, huh?
We all need ‘a funny world’. We all need a place where we can laugh and get tickled about things. God made laughter, just like He made the trees and the birds and the rainbow. And just like those things, laughter is one of the best evidences of God.
Laughter reminds us both of the character of our Creator and how we are specially made in His image. Our ability to laugh is a sign of how we are unique amongst creation. And that uniqueness pertains not only to laughing (good thing, too… for how far would laughter get us in remedying our sinful state?), but also to the special standing we have in God’s eyes, in that we alone have been offered the precious relationship with Him that comes through the redemption made possible to us by the death of Jesus.
Thank You, Lord, for the gift of laughter. And thank You for how it also reminds us of the most precious gift of salvation. May we truly treasure both today.
Daniel
The night that I was told one of the stories of Joshua being in the road, we were at the supper table (by the way, there is nothing better to liven up mealtime conversation than a good Joshua story; if you need any, I can loan you some!); Sarah was telling the tale, and we were all listening (including Joshua). When she had finished, she suggested that I put that story in one of my devotions. Joshua chimed in right behind her and said to me: “Yeah, put that in your funny world!”
After a few moments of chaotic laughing from all who were present, Joshua went on to explain that that is what he does: whenever something funny happens to him or because of him (and there are plenty of both), he puts it away in his head; then later, when he wants to laugh, he just pulls it out and thinks about it and laughs!
Pretty good, huh?
We all need ‘a funny world’. We all need a place where we can laugh and get tickled about things. God made laughter, just like He made the trees and the birds and the rainbow. And just like those things, laughter is one of the best evidences of God.
Laughter reminds us both of the character of our Creator and how we are specially made in His image. Our ability to laugh is a sign of how we are unique amongst creation. And that uniqueness pertains not only to laughing (good thing, too… for how far would laughter get us in remedying our sinful state?), but also to the special standing we have in God’s eyes, in that we alone have been offered the precious relationship with Him that comes through the redemption made possible to us by the death of Jesus.
Thank You, Lord, for the gift of laughter. And thank You for how it also reminds us of the most precious gift of salvation. May we truly treasure both today.
Daniel
Thursday, April 21, 2011
#337.3 – “Joshua in the Road… the Second Time”
“And Esau said to Jacob, Give me a full meal of that red soup, for I am overcome with need for food: for this reason he was named Edom. And Jacob said, First of all give me your birthright. And Esau said, Truly, I am at the point of death: what profit is the birthright to me? And Jacob said, First of all give me your oath; and he gave him his oath, handing over his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave him bread and soup; and he took food and drink and went away, caring little for his birthright.” - Genesis 25:30-34
The very next day after Joshua did his best impersonation of ‘The Streak’, he was out in the middle of the road again… only this time for a totally different reason. This time, he was lying down in the middle of street. Sarah saw him there as she came out of the house behind him. When she first saw him, she thought that he had fallen off his scooter, which was there on the road beside him. She ran towards him in a bit of a panic, only to have him pop right up once she got to him. When she asked him if he was okay, he told her he was fine; he had just gotten cold, so he stretched out on the nice warm pavement to warm his body up (he strips down to his shorts when he’s hot; he lies down in the road when he’s cold… what are we going to do with this boy?)!
Like I said yesterday, with Joshua – the only that matters is what matters to him right then! And right then, he was cold and wanted to get warm! Never mind the fact that his tanning bed could cost him his life; just as long as it got him warm at that moment.
I can be just like that, too. There are times when I all am focused on is my immediate wishes and wants and gratification. I can disregard what spiritually is really most important and be consumed instead with whatever physically is drawing me at the time. There is still much I need to learn about stepping outside of myself and seeing the big picture… still much of God’s perspective to gain.
Lord, help me to weigh the decisions I will make today in light of eternity, and grant me the wisdom to make good choices that will prove to be a blessing, to You and to me and to those around me.
Daniel
The very next day after Joshua did his best impersonation of ‘The Streak’, he was out in the middle of the road again… only this time for a totally different reason. This time, he was lying down in the middle of street. Sarah saw him there as she came out of the house behind him. When she first saw him, she thought that he had fallen off his scooter, which was there on the road beside him. She ran towards him in a bit of a panic, only to have him pop right up once she got to him. When she asked him if he was okay, he told her he was fine; he had just gotten cold, so he stretched out on the nice warm pavement to warm his body up (he strips down to his shorts when he’s hot; he lies down in the road when he’s cold… what are we going to do with this boy?)!
Like I said yesterday, with Joshua – the only that matters is what matters to him right then! And right then, he was cold and wanted to get warm! Never mind the fact that his tanning bed could cost him his life; just as long as it got him warm at that moment.
I can be just like that, too. There are times when I all am focused on is my immediate wishes and wants and gratification. I can disregard what spiritually is really most important and be consumed instead with whatever physically is drawing me at the time. There is still much I need to learn about stepping outside of myself and seeing the big picture… still much of God’s perspective to gain.
Lord, help me to weigh the decisions I will make today in light of eternity, and grant me the wisdom to make good choices that will prove to be a blessing, to You and to me and to those around me.
Daniel
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
#337.2 – “Joshua in the Road… the First Time”
I came home last week to hear two very interesting stories of Joshua being out in the middle of the road in our neighborhood. Here is the first such tale…
“Little is needed, or even one thing only: for Mary has taken that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” - Luke 10:42
Sarah said that Joshua had been playing outside in our neighborhood and got hot... so he came in to cool off. ‘Cooling off’ for Joshua includes taking off clothes. After stripping down to his underwear, he began playing inside the house. At some point, he stubbed his toe (which he had already injured earlier) and caused it to bleed. His first response to such an occurrence is always to run to momma. After running through the house and not finding her (I think she said she had stepped out and gone down the street to go call one of the other kids home), he proceeded to run out the door and down the street to her… in nothing but his underwear. When she saw him coming towards her, she said something like: ‘Joshua, you are running down the street naked!’ to which he replied: ‘I don’t care! Look at my toe!’ She said she picked him up in her arms – both to comfort him and to somewhat cover his bare body (of course, there were several neighbors out at that moment watching the whole thing) – and repeated her exclamation: ‘Joshua, you don’t have any clothes on!’ And again came the reply: ‘I DON”T CARE if I don’t have any clothes on… look at my toe!’
There are moments in life when nothing else matters… when the things that have seemed important before really don’t matter at all… when everything fades away and there is only one priority. I know for me that one such time was when I was in the hospital with my appendix... I didn’t have any concerns about appointments and meetings and schedules… all I cared about was getting well. For Joshua, this was one of those moments, where all he cared about was his bleeding toe.
Oh, that we would have such a clarity regarding what truly is important in life all of the time. If we could learn to prioritize our lives and place supreme importance on our relationship with God and each other…
Lord, help me see that life is all about loving You and loving others.
Daniel
“Little is needed, or even one thing only: for Mary has taken that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” - Luke 10:42
Sarah said that Joshua had been playing outside in our neighborhood and got hot... so he came in to cool off. ‘Cooling off’ for Joshua includes taking off clothes. After stripping down to his underwear, he began playing inside the house. At some point, he stubbed his toe (which he had already injured earlier) and caused it to bleed. His first response to such an occurrence is always to run to momma. After running through the house and not finding her (I think she said she had stepped out and gone down the street to go call one of the other kids home), he proceeded to run out the door and down the street to her… in nothing but his underwear. When she saw him coming towards her, she said something like: ‘Joshua, you are running down the street naked!’ to which he replied: ‘I don’t care! Look at my toe!’ She said she picked him up in her arms – both to comfort him and to somewhat cover his bare body (of course, there were several neighbors out at that moment watching the whole thing) – and repeated her exclamation: ‘Joshua, you don’t have any clothes on!’ And again came the reply: ‘I DON”T CARE if I don’t have any clothes on… look at my toe!’
There are moments in life when nothing else matters… when the things that have seemed important before really don’t matter at all… when everything fades away and there is only one priority. I know for me that one such time was when I was in the hospital with my appendix... I didn’t have any concerns about appointments and meetings and schedules… all I cared about was getting well. For Joshua, this was one of those moments, where all he cared about was his bleeding toe.
Oh, that we would have such a clarity regarding what truly is important in life all of the time. If we could learn to prioritize our lives and place supreme importance on our relationship with God and each other…
Lord, help me see that life is all about loving You and loving others.
Daniel
Monday, April 18, 2011
#337.1 – “Teenage Years”
“For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” - Psalms 48:14
One afternoon last week - when the kids were on spring break - Anna surprised us by falling asleep in our bed. Sarah said she just came in our room and crashed on our bed and was asleep in minutes. She must have been pretty tired, because I had to wake her up that evening when I came home from work, so that she wouldn’t be up all night! She had been asleep for a few hours at that point. She never does anything like that. That’s when it hit me and Sarah as to what was happening: we realized that we are about to be entering ‘the teenage years’ (Anna turns 13 this November). We have never been there, but we have heard stories... stories of beings who eat you out of house and home… stories of these quasi-adults who sleep at unusual hours of the day and don’t sleep at night… stories of hormones and heartaches.
So I guess we’re embarking on new territory. Who knows what the future will hold? I know that we don’t, which means that we are going to have to rely heavily upon God to guide us.
Lord, I know that You are sovereign over the universe, and that You hold all things in Your hands. Thank You for each of our children, and for the knowledge that You have created each of them with special purpose. Help us as parents to treasure that truth and to trust You, as You lead us through every stage of life.
Daniel
One afternoon last week - when the kids were on spring break - Anna surprised us by falling asleep in our bed. Sarah said she just came in our room and crashed on our bed and was asleep in minutes. She must have been pretty tired, because I had to wake her up that evening when I came home from work, so that she wouldn’t be up all night! She had been asleep for a few hours at that point. She never does anything like that. That’s when it hit me and Sarah as to what was happening: we realized that we are about to be entering ‘the teenage years’ (Anna turns 13 this November). We have never been there, but we have heard stories... stories of beings who eat you out of house and home… stories of these quasi-adults who sleep at unusual hours of the day and don’t sleep at night… stories of hormones and heartaches.
So I guess we’re embarking on new territory. Who knows what the future will hold? I know that we don’t, which means that we are going to have to rely heavily upon God to guide us.
Lord, I know that You are sovereign over the universe, and that You hold all things in Your hands. Thank You for each of our children, and for the knowledge that You have created each of them with special purpose. Help us as parents to treasure that truth and to trust You, as You lead us through every stage of life.
Daniel
Friday, April 15, 2011
#336.4 – “The Lunch-maker and the Way-maker”
“For already, while we were still helpless, Christ at the right moment died for the ungodly.” - Romans 5:6
It is customary in our home for me to pack the kids’ lunches for school. There are a few times, however, when I am doing all I can just to get me ready in the mornings! On those days, lunches get purchased instead of being made. But recently, I have had an eager beaver who has gotten herself ready early enough to come in the kitchen and help me pack lunches. Ruthie was consistently one of the first kids ready to go to school last week… and she was right there beside me, helping me bag up chips and sandwiches and whatever else needed doing. This unexpected help often came at just the right time… because I would be running around wondering what I was going to do to get us all out the door on time.
I needed help right at the moment it was given… and that made that help especially precious to me. In the same way, we as sinners before a holy God needed help in order to be forgiven of our sins and brought into the Presence of God clean and right… and Jesus provided that help (in fact, it is more accurate to say that He Himself IS that help… that Way to God. Without His dying for our sins, we would have no way to have a relationship with God. But because He did, we can! And that sacrifice should be to us a most precious gift – more precious than anything.
Lord, help me to be reminded of how thankful I should be in light of what You did on my behalf.
Daniel
It is customary in our home for me to pack the kids’ lunches for school. There are a few times, however, when I am doing all I can just to get me ready in the mornings! On those days, lunches get purchased instead of being made. But recently, I have had an eager beaver who has gotten herself ready early enough to come in the kitchen and help me pack lunches. Ruthie was consistently one of the first kids ready to go to school last week… and she was right there beside me, helping me bag up chips and sandwiches and whatever else needed doing. This unexpected help often came at just the right time… because I would be running around wondering what I was going to do to get us all out the door on time.
I needed help right at the moment it was given… and that made that help especially precious to me. In the same way, we as sinners before a holy God needed help in order to be forgiven of our sins and brought into the Presence of God clean and right… and Jesus provided that help (in fact, it is more accurate to say that He Himself IS that help… that Way to God. Without His dying for our sins, we would have no way to have a relationship with God. But because He did, we can! And that sacrifice should be to us a most precious gift – more precious than anything.
Lord, help me to be reminded of how thankful I should be in light of what You did on my behalf.
Daniel
Thursday, April 14, 2011
#336.3 – “The DS Droid”
“But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word” - Acts 6:4
Joshua loves to play his video games. He has a handheld game called a DS that he carries with him most places. We have learned to not have him play while we are all walking somewhere, because he doesn’t actually look where he’s going (if you point his head in the right direction, he will just go… he won’t look, but he’ll go!). He also cannot carry on a conversation while playing, because he is too absorbed in his game. If we would let him, I’m sure he would choose to lose sleep in order to play it. I’m surprised that he hasn’t grown robotic arms as much as he has that thing in his hands!
In the same way, there are many things that would distract me from my relationship with God… and not all of them are ‘bad’ things (just like playing a game is not a bad thing in itself). But when those things prevent me from spending time with God, they are a distraction from the most important part of my day and who I am. And if I am not careful, they sort of begin to add up and cling to me and overwhelm me to the point that I am not moving with God.
Lord, help me keep my life in check to see if things are becoming more important than You. Forgive me when I become enthralled with the world and do not look deeply into You. When I wander, lead me back into the direction I need to go.
Daniel
Joshua loves to play his video games. He has a handheld game called a DS that he carries with him most places. We have learned to not have him play while we are all walking somewhere, because he doesn’t actually look where he’s going (if you point his head in the right direction, he will just go… he won’t look, but he’ll go!). He also cannot carry on a conversation while playing, because he is too absorbed in his game. If we would let him, I’m sure he would choose to lose sleep in order to play it. I’m surprised that he hasn’t grown robotic arms as much as he has that thing in his hands!
In the same way, there are many things that would distract me from my relationship with God… and not all of them are ‘bad’ things (just like playing a game is not a bad thing in itself). But when those things prevent me from spending time with God, they are a distraction from the most important part of my day and who I am. And if I am not careful, they sort of begin to add up and cling to me and overwhelm me to the point that I am not moving with God.
Lord, help me keep my life in check to see if things are becoming more important than You. Forgive me when I become enthralled with the world and do not look deeply into You. When I wander, lead me back into the direction I need to go.
Daniel
Monday, April 11, 2011
#336.2 – “Spinnin' Away, but with No Heat”
“Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.” - Jeremiah 9:23-24
One day last week, the kids were all getting ready for school, when I noticed that Ruthie did not have on any pants (a brilliant observer, I am). When I inquired as to what had kept her from getting fully dressed, she informed me that she was waiting on a pair of blue jeans to come out of the dryer. Content with that answer, I kept on getting everybody’s lunches ready. After several minutes, I asked her if she had checked them recently. She said she did, but that they were not dry. I gave them a few more minutes and then checked them myself.
Our dryer has a setting where, as the load gets closer to the end of a certain cycle, it reduces the heat applied to that load… sort of a ‘cool dry’ mode (I guess to protect the clothes from shrinkage). Ruthie’s jeans were at that particular point in the cycle and were not getting anywhere close to dry, because the dryer was not heating at all! I cranked the dial back a few notches and turned the dryer back on. The heat kicked on and, in just a few minutes, Ruthie’s jeans were dry and we were on our way!
Sometimes in my spiritual walk, I have been guilty of working myself crazy and not getting much effect… and that is most often due to the fact that I am working in my own power (which, let me tell you, ain’t much!) and not relying upon God’s power to accomplish His vision. When I recognize this flaw and ask for His strength and help, He is always faithful to provide the power needed to bring about the result He desires.
Lord, forgive me for the times when I am spinnin’ away, but with no heat! Help me to turn back my spiritual dial and learn to rely upon Your power more consistently.
Daniel
One day last week, the kids were all getting ready for school, when I noticed that Ruthie did not have on any pants (a brilliant observer, I am). When I inquired as to what had kept her from getting fully dressed, she informed me that she was waiting on a pair of blue jeans to come out of the dryer. Content with that answer, I kept on getting everybody’s lunches ready. After several minutes, I asked her if she had checked them recently. She said she did, but that they were not dry. I gave them a few more minutes and then checked them myself.
Our dryer has a setting where, as the load gets closer to the end of a certain cycle, it reduces the heat applied to that load… sort of a ‘cool dry’ mode (I guess to protect the clothes from shrinkage). Ruthie’s jeans were at that particular point in the cycle and were not getting anywhere close to dry, because the dryer was not heating at all! I cranked the dial back a few notches and turned the dryer back on. The heat kicked on and, in just a few minutes, Ruthie’s jeans were dry and we were on our way!
Sometimes in my spiritual walk, I have been guilty of working myself crazy and not getting much effect… and that is most often due to the fact that I am working in my own power (which, let me tell you, ain’t much!) and not relying upon God’s power to accomplish His vision. When I recognize this flaw and ask for His strength and help, He is always faithful to provide the power needed to bring about the result He desires.
Lord, forgive me for the times when I am spinnin’ away, but with no heat! Help me to turn back my spiritual dial and learn to rely upon Your power more consistently.
Daniel
#336.1 – “Night and Day”
“Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” - Ephesians 2:20-22
Last week I touched on how different some of our kids are when it comes to sleep. There are no two more different than our boys. Grant takes after his momma when it comes to sleep. He can go to sleep in less than two minutes when he is tired. All he has to do is just lie down (or sometimes just sit still) and he is out like a light.
Joshua, on the other hand, takes after me. He has to have a little bit more time to wind down. In fact, he hardly ever goes to sleep when we try to get all four of them to take a nap on the weekends. More often than not, the other three kids will be sound asleep in just a while, but Joshua is just afraid he is going miss out on something! I remember being the same way when I was little.
They are as different as night and day when it comes to sleep habits, but they have a bond like only brothers can have. They truly love each other. They help each other and they stick together.
Their bond reminds me of that which we as believers should have for one another. We should be close – willing to serve one another… to help one another… to love one another in Christ. Despite whatever personal preferences we may have or what various spiritual gifts we possess, we should always seek to come together for the cause of Christ.
Daniel
Last week I touched on how different some of our kids are when it comes to sleep. There are no two more different than our boys. Grant takes after his momma when it comes to sleep. He can go to sleep in less than two minutes when he is tired. All he has to do is just lie down (or sometimes just sit still) and he is out like a light.
Joshua, on the other hand, takes after me. He has to have a little bit more time to wind down. In fact, he hardly ever goes to sleep when we try to get all four of them to take a nap on the weekends. More often than not, the other three kids will be sound asleep in just a while, but Joshua is just afraid he is going miss out on something! I remember being the same way when I was little.
They are as different as night and day when it comes to sleep habits, but they have a bond like only brothers can have. They truly love each other. They help each other and they stick together.
Their bond reminds me of that which we as believers should have for one another. We should be close – willing to serve one another… to help one another… to love one another in Christ. Despite whatever personal preferences we may have or what various spiritual gifts we possess, we should always seek to come together for the cause of Christ.
Daniel
Friday, April 8, 2011
#335.5 – “If I Didn’t Have Sarah…”
“Husbands, have love for your wives, even as Christ had love for the church, and gave Himself for it.” - Ephesians 5:25
Today is Sarah’s birthday, so that works out great for me to score some major points and write about her today!
Sarah is fun. She generally laughs and smiles a lot in any given day, and that is because it is a genuine reflection of her attitude. One of my favorite traits of Sarah’s is her ability to laugh at herself; as long as I have known her, Sarah has done or said funny things… and then gotten tickled at herself… and then laughed at herself like she is watching someone else do these funny things as part of a comedy routine!
Sarah likes sleep. She can fall asleep with just a thought. She also wakes easily, which usually favored her for middle of the night duty with our babies.
She is almost always cold, which works out great for me to do some snuggling with her!
Her love is true. It is pure and right and sincere.
Sarah has always been my support in everything. From helping me make decisions, to being a wonderful mother to our children, to taking care of me while I was sick from my ruptured appendix, Sarah has been right beside me all the way.
If I didn’t have Sarah, I don’t know what I would do. I would be lost without her. She is my completion.
God, thank You for Sarah. Thank You for leading us to each other. And thank You for Your faithfulness and Your sacrificial love to Your Bride, the Church. Help me to love Sarah as You love the Church.
Daniel
Today is Sarah’s birthday, so that works out great for me to score some major points and write about her today!
Sarah is fun. She generally laughs and smiles a lot in any given day, and that is because it is a genuine reflection of her attitude. One of my favorite traits of Sarah’s is her ability to laugh at herself; as long as I have known her, Sarah has done or said funny things… and then gotten tickled at herself… and then laughed at herself like she is watching someone else do these funny things as part of a comedy routine!
Sarah likes sleep. She can fall asleep with just a thought. She also wakes easily, which usually favored her for middle of the night duty with our babies.
She is almost always cold, which works out great for me to do some snuggling with her!
Her love is true. It is pure and right and sincere.
Sarah has always been my support in everything. From helping me make decisions, to being a wonderful mother to our children, to taking care of me while I was sick from my ruptured appendix, Sarah has been right beside me all the way.
If I didn’t have Sarah, I don’t know what I would do. I would be lost without her. She is my completion.
God, thank You for Sarah. Thank You for leading us to each other. And thank You for Your faithfulness and Your sacrificial love to Your Bride, the Church. Help me to love Sarah as You love the Church.
Daniel
Thursday, April 7, 2011
#335.4 – “If We Didn’t Have Joshua…”
“Now there are different qualities given to men, but the same Spirit. And there are different sorts of servants, but the same Lord. And there are different operations, but the same God, who is working all things in all.” - 1Corinthians 12:4-6
Joshua is the spoiled rotten stinker child. He is the baby and he knows it and he plays it for all its worth. Incapable of being still while playing anything, he loves to run and jump and bounce and flip and leap and tumble (consequently, he is taking gymnastics classes right now). The hardest to get to sleep… and the hardest to get up in the mornings… he gives me fits some days, but we manage to get out the door on time most of the time. Joshua is super sensitive; he will get his feelings hurt at nothing, and he gets happy again just as quickly.
If we didn’t have Joshua, we would miss out on a whole lot (for one thing, I wouldn’t have nearly as much material for devotions!). We would not have near the laughs… the joys… the aggravations! Life just would not be nearly as exciting.
Thank You, God for Joshua. Thank You for creating Him uniquely. Thank You for how You make each of us different and yet, how You use us for a common purpose of bringing You glory. May we seek to do that today.
Daniel
Joshua is the spoiled rotten stinker child. He is the baby and he knows it and he plays it for all its worth. Incapable of being still while playing anything, he loves to run and jump and bounce and flip and leap and tumble (consequently, he is taking gymnastics classes right now). The hardest to get to sleep… and the hardest to get up in the mornings… he gives me fits some days, but we manage to get out the door on time most of the time. Joshua is super sensitive; he will get his feelings hurt at nothing, and he gets happy again just as quickly.
If we didn’t have Joshua, we would miss out on a whole lot (for one thing, I wouldn’t have nearly as much material for devotions!). We would not have near the laughs… the joys… the aggravations! Life just would not be nearly as exciting.
Thank You, God for Joshua. Thank You for creating Him uniquely. Thank You for how You make each of us different and yet, how You use us for a common purpose of bringing You glory. May we seek to do that today.
Daniel
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